Whether you’re an athlete, foodie, brew lover, outdoor enthusiast, ‘Arts’ supporter, or you’re just looking for some family-friendly fun, Casper has something special in store for everyone with our endless supply of events and festivals. So, grab your pens and mark your calendars, as our list of “Casper’s Can’t Miss Summer Events” is guaranteed to inspire your “Summer fun” list!
June
Though summer technically doesn’t start until June 20th, Casper natives know that summer weather is likely to heat up well before that. In that spirit, Casper’s summer festivities tend to start early as everyone is eager to get out and enjoy the sun! So, to kick off this list, here are some June events guaranteed to turn up the fun!
June 2nd: Runners of all levels are invited to sign up to “run with the heard” during the Visit Casper Marathon! This event is charging headfirst into its 21st year and offers signs-ups for their 10k, half marathon, full marathon relay, and full marathon. The start line will be at the Ford Wyoming Center, and whether you are a participant or a supporter it’s bound to be a roaring good time!
June 6th will kick off this annual summer tradition in Casper: The First Thursday’s. Each month from June-September, “fun-filled evening[s] of creativity, community, and culture” will ignite the streets of downtown Casper for the whole family to enjoy! The only difference this year is that the “First Thursday” of July will take place on July 11th (to avoid conflict with Fourth of July festivities).
June 8th: PrideFest will be held at David Street Station; ushering in a months-worth of PRIDE events and celebrations and capping off with the Pride Bar Crawl on June 29th!
June 9th-15th the CNFR will be celebrating its 25th year in Casper, and whether you’re visiting or you’re a Casper native you won’t want to miss this special event!
June 14th-16th the Nicolaysen Art Museum is also hosting its annual (and FREE) NIC Fest! Filled with community market-members, specialty food and drink vendors, as well as live entertainment and performances, this event is special to downtown Caspers’ thriving art community and is guaranteed to have something for everyone!
June 22nd: Get excited because, while Casper has an impressive number of breweries, Casper’s Brewers Festival is inviting brewers from all over the state to team up with the Casper Spuds (at Mike Lansing Field) for a night of brews and baseball. A classically dynamic-summer-duo!
June 29th: The Casper Comic Con will be held at the Ford Wyoming Center. Dawn your best cosplays and enjoy the “convergence of comics, cosplay, art, and collectibles” for a break from the heat and the love of pop culture!
July
After an action, events, and festivals packed June, Casper continues to celebrate summer with competitions and spectacles in July! Check out these awesome opportunities to get in on the action!
July 4th: Independence Day celebrations will flood the town, but the cherry on top will be the annual Fireworks Festival at (and hosted by) The Ford Wyoming Center! The Fireworks Festival includes (but certainly is not limited to) an "Inflatable Zone", the "Patriotic Wagon & Stroller Parade", and the "Kid’s Sidewalk Chalk Competition"; capped off by the annual fireworks display, which can be seen from all across town!
July 12th-13th: Casper will be host to the Smoke & Soul Fest community event, celebrating “professional level BBQ, music and a good cause”. While Casper undoubtedly has an impressive array of delicious barbecue, it’s rare you’d find so much of it in one place!
July 5th-13th: Kicking off with the “Rooftop Rodeo” on July 5th, the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo makes its yearly return to Casper with “the all new AMP (Amusement Midway Providers) carnival”!
August
Winding down into the latter-half of summer, and before sending all the kiddos back to school, Casper’s festivals will ‘amp’ up with more food trucks, concerts, and outings for the whole family to enjoy!
August 3rd-4th: Beartrap Summer Festival will be celebrating its 30th year in Casper! While the festival has historically taken place in and around the Beartrap Meadow Park on Casper Mountain, this year (due to road closures) the festival will be taking place in the centrally located Washington Park.
August 9th-11th: The Lyric will be hosting the first ever Fringe Festival in Casper. Showcasing Casper’s local talent, this event is guaranteed to be an art-enthusiasts dream and a treat for locals and visitors alike!
August 10th: The annual Duck Derby and River Fest (a community fundraiser) will be hosted at Crossroads Park by the iconic North Platte River. The event will include regional brews, food trucks, live music, family friendly activities, local vendors, shopping booths, and more!
August 17th: David Street Station will be host to the 5150’ Festival! Nestled in the heart of downtown Casper, our annual celebration of all things Casper will have food trucks, plenty of local brews, local vendors, and music; and all just a short walk from everything that downtown has to offer!
August 28th: The Ford Wyoming Center is excited to announce Hozier in concert (starting at 2pm)! This will be a treat for locals and visitors alike, but make sure to get your tickets early!
While we’ve covered a lot of opportunities for summer fun in this list, Casper is never without an event to attend or a new experience around every corner! So, if you’re looking for even more to do this summer, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter and keep an eye on our community events calendar for updates on all that Casper has to offer!