Officials: Cheyenne Frontier Days Drawing Big Crowds

While official numbers aren't yet available, the Mayor of Cheyenne and a local tourism official say they think Cheyenne Frontier Days is drawing a lot of people this year.

Darren Rudloff, President of Visit Cheyenne, notes the last couple of CFD celebrations have been among the best attended in the event's history, adding that without hard numbers to work with there is no way to know how CFD 2016 will compare.

But he points out the final weekend of Cheyenne Frontier Days is still ahead, including the rodeo finals that often draw the largest crowds.

Rudloff says the economic benefit to Cheyenne from the event is probably magnified by the fact that two new hotels have opened this year, following two others which opened in 2015.

That's good news for the local economy because people who stay in Cheyenne, as opposed to Laramie or Fort Collins, are more likely to spend money here as well.

Meanwhile, Mayor Rick Kaysen says everything he's heard points toward a banner year for Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2016. The mayor says he's been told attendance at the July 27 rodeo was the second largest ever for a Wednesday CFD rodeo.

Kaysen says the Kenny Chesney concert Wednesday evening was "standing room only", and around 10,000 people were served at Wednesday morning's pancake breakfast, all pointing to overall strong attendance.

The mayor says local hotels and restaurants are doing very well, with people standing in line to eat at many businesses. The mayor says CFD vendors are doing well and retailers seem to be "doing alright."

While some types of businesses count on CFD crowds more than others, Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce President Dale Steenbergen says for many the event is a "Second Christmas" and in some cases is make or break time in terms of the bottom line.