Are you headed to any of the Cheyenne Frontier Days parades?

Four grand parades wind through downtown Cheyenne during the 'Daddy of 'Em All,' beginning at 9 a.m. on both Saturdays, July 18 and 25, also Tuesday, July 21, and Thursday, July 23. 

CFD Parade Shriners
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Do you have your favorite spot where you like to watch the parade? Many people stake out their territory just after the sun comes up to get in the shade with curb-side seating. On the 2nd floor of the ANB Bank where our studios are, they broadcast information about the floats, carriages and marching bands in the parades, so the corner of Capitol Ave. and 20th St. is always popular.

CFD Parade Cheyenne or Bust car
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Do you have a favorite part of the Cheyenne Frontier Days parades? The Cheyenne or Bust car on it's last leg is always one of my favorites along with the rowdy floats; Hell's Half Acre Saloon and Dazee's Dance Hall. As a kid, we loved the Placer Mine and Silver Crown Mine floats because they threw out gold and silver rocks to the crowd.

CFD Parade Central High Band
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Also popular in each parade are the local Cheyenne high school marching bands, it's fun to cheer on your Alma Mater as they march by in their very hot uniforms. Most parades there are also several visiting marching bands you can catch.

CFD Parade Union Pacific Train
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Have you ever been in a Cheyenne Frontier Days parade? Lots of the floats include children, friends and family members and the employees of sponsoring businesses. I've been dressed as the villain on the Cheyenne Little Theatre Players Melodrama wagon a couple times. It's a blast, but the parade route sure seems long.

CFD Parade Plains Dairy Wagon
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The parade starts at the steps of the State Capitol building at 24th St. and Capitol, then heads south to 18th St. where it turns east one block to Central Ave., then south to Lincolnway where it turns west to Carey Ave. and then north back to 24th St. The route is marked by the red, black and white flags streaming from the light poles.

CFD Parade Carol & Matt Mead on horseback
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You never know what dignitaries you might see riding in a Cheyenne Frontier Days parade. Sometimes it will be the Governor and First Lady, the Mayor, rodeo queens or even the U.S. Air Force Thunderbird pilots.

CFD Parade Red Hay Wagon
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The annual CFD parades include one of the largest collections of horse-drawn carriages anywhere in the world. What preparation do all the horses go through to be ready to walk the parade route? Wagon driver Jerry Anderson spoke with Gary Freeman during rodeo slack recently about getting his horses ready to handle the noises and large crowds of Cheyenne Frontier Days. Take a look at the video.

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