January 27 - February 4, 2024
5150' WinterFest
Alright locals, there's no more denying it. Casper is officially the place to be in the winter!
We are excited to announce that the first-ever Winterfest is coming to Casper in January 2024. With a film festival, photography exhibition, a snow sculpting competition and more, there's never been this much anticipation for Casper's most slept-on season!
More details are coming, but for now, here's the current line-up of events and activities.
Robert Burns Day
Kicking off WinterFest, Saturday, January 27, come enjoy live music and great local brews at Frontier Brewing Co.
Casper International Film Festival
Thursday, February 1 - Sunday, February 4
Film is a unique, ever-changing, and ever-growing art medium. We're excited to present to you an amazing line-up of films from our parent festival, the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival. They will be shown at Frontier Brewing Co.
Click here for more information!
Winterfest Photography Exhibition
With the beauty that surrounds us in Casper, Wyoming, is it any surprise that we have a robust photography community?! Collaborating with Wyoming Camera Outfitters and Goedicke's Custom Framing & Art Supply we are excited to host our first WinterFest Photography Exhibition. We invite photographers from around the region to submit their work under the following three categories:
- Landscapes
- Wildlife
- Portrait
We will not be accepting any cell phone images. There is a limit of six photos per participant.
Please format your photos to be printed 11*17
Entry Fee: $15/submitted photo
All submissions are due: January 18, 2024
The top 100 photos will be printed, matted, and displayed for the duration of WinterFest. The printed photos will be selected through a pre-judging process.
The photographers may pick up their matted photograph at the Visit Casper office after the end of WinterFest at no extra cost.
Judging will include the community voting on their favorites plus three local professionals.
Our honored judges are:
Justin Hayward -
Originally from Traverse City, Mich., Justin Hayward now lives in Casper, WY with his wife, three children, and two french bulldogs. He received his BFA in Illustration at Brigham Young University and a MFA from the New York Academy of Art in painting. Justin has also studied at the Florence Academy of Art, and with several renowned artists throughout the country. Justin has been the full-time professor of drawing and painting at Casper College since 2007.
Shawn Bush -
Shawn Bush is a photographer living and working in Casper, Wyoming. He is a graduate of Columbia College and Rhode Island School of Design and is the current photography instructor at Casper College.
Chris Luse -
Chris Luse has been a photographer for over twenty years. He started photography when he was 17 years old. He studied at Casper College and FSU earning his degree in Fine Art Photography and Marketing. Chris mentored under Mike Keogh studying film photography. After graduation, Chris became the manager of Wyoming Camera Outfitters. Chris is a certified Canon instructor and teaches photography classes for Wyoming Camera Outfitters and local enforcement agencies. He organizes workshops, and guest lectures for photographers from all over the world to benefit the art programs in Wyoming.
Awards:
The overall winner will receive a $700 gift certificate to Wyoming Camera Outfitters.
There will be a winner selected for each category. These winners will each receive a $150 gift card to Goedickes Custom Framing & Art Supply.
All submissions are final for this year's 5150' Winterfest Photo Exhibition. The top 100 photos will be displayed at The Nicolaysen Art Museum, January 27 - February 4. We invite the community to enjoy this amazing gallery featuring the work of over 20 local photographers. Click the button below to rank your favorites.
Snow Sculpting & Family Fun Day
Four amazing teams will be sculpting creative snow sculptures over the week of WinterFest. Carving will begin Thursday, February 1, we encourage the community to come observe the carving process throughout the week at David Street Station. The winning team will be announced the afternoon of Sunday, February 4. Bring your families down to enjoy the spectacle and beautiful weather we're having!
Women in Wyoming Opening Reception
Friday, February 2
Join the NIC and artist Lindsay Buk on Friday, February 2, from 6 - 8 pm, for the opening of her landmark exhibit, Women in Wyoming! A celebrations of Wyoming's incredible women, the exhibit is an immersive experience showcasing the modern-day strength and spirit of Wyoming women and girls. The Women in Wyoming exhibit features large-scale portraits, an audio soundscape incorporating natural sounds captured on location to snippets of the podcast interview episodes, as well as interactive storytelling components which engage the audience to tell stores about inspiring women in their own lives. In addition, for the first time ever, Women in Wyoming will feature artifacts from the subjects as part of the exhibit including clothing, artworks, and even a 1968 Cadillac.
Drinks will be served by Ramkota Inn and Conference Center as well as food from Grant Street Grocery.
Admission is $5 per person, $10 for a family, or free with NIC membership.
Saturday, February 3
Enjoy a Coffee Talk with photographer Lindsay Buk, Saturday, February 3, 11 am to Noon. Enjoy a Q & A session Lindsay will have the opportunity to shed light on her process, experiences making the exhibit, and the overall mission of the Women in Wyoming project. Lindsay, who is an artist, photographer, and fifth-generation Wyoming native, will be joined by Cathy Holman to field your questions and allow for greater insight into this tremendous exhibit.
Coffee and treats will be provided.
Admission is $10 for NIC members and $15 for non-members.
Sponsored by the John P. Elbogen Foundation and the True Legacy Fund.
Legacies Concert - Wyoming State Symphony
Saturday, February 3
Wyoming Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to welcome Justin Bartels to the stage to perform Haydn's Trumpet Concerto, a truly unique feat for its time. As part of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Bartels proves that one person can make a huge impact on the ears. His gleaming sound on the trumpet is full of dazzling technique which we will hear in Haydn's Trumpet Concerto. This concert will include the premiere of a student composer from the University of Wyoming. Ending the concert, the audience will hear Beethoven's Symphony No. 6. This piece will take us on a journey of cheerfulness, anticipation, excitement, and serenity. Legacies is a celebration of music education and the chronology of composers and performers who studied from one another, growing and shaping the art form from pre-classical to contemporary.