Great things are happening in Cheyenne. There is no sense in burying the lead, and it is true. Cheyenne is a city on the rise, and despite typical struggles and challenges, I am happy to be here to experience all of it and I’m glad you are thinking about joining in the fun!
Every city has great things happening, and from a local’s perspective here are 10 things I’m excited for you to immerse yourself in.
- Food Trucks - Cheyenne now supports multiple food trucks after being a food truck desert for many years. Food that ranges from street food fusion to authentic middle eastern cuisine can now be found in Cheyenne, adding to the flavor of things to do in the community.
- Murals and public art – In July, several murals and new public art installations have popped up in Cheyenne. The 4-ever West Tattoo Festival helped with their graffiti art event, and if you walk the alleyway between the Albany and the Wrangler, you’ll experience a cool urban menagerie of art that Cheyenne has desperately needed. West Edge Collective got into the game and had paint slingers decorate a shipping container that adds to the flavor of the west edge and their new building.
- Cheyenne has seen five new eating establishments open in downtown over the past three months at all price points. The Metropolitan is an amazing addition to 17th street and is going to help spur more activity downtown, with Napoli’s we now have a non-chain mid-priced Italian restaurant in town. Alchemy Catering is one of the hottest lunch spots in all of Cheyenne and Mary’s Mountain Cookies had to cut their hours, not because of lack of sales, but because they can’t bake the cookies fast enough to keep them in stock. This week we learned of a new cupcakery in the Asher Building as well. Local people, opening local businesses filling our bellies full of their creations! I can get behind that all day long. Let’s not forget that Chronicle’s Distilling has opened as the first craft distiller in the city.
- If you stroll down Linconway, take in how beautiful the Atlas Theatre, one of Wyoming’s most iconic buildings, is looking. The new paint job completed last year is a welcome addition to Cheyenne’s “main street”. Take it one step further and enjoy a show there, whether it is the melodrama or fun local theater like “Boeing, Boeing” entertainment is not difficult to find.
- Just before the 123rd Daddy of ‘Em All, Cheyenne Frontier Days opened a brand-new headquarters building on the park. This multi-million-dollar project was a private investment into the community; creating jobs and a year-round event space that will be another unique location to hold meetings, conferences and receptions in.
- Speaking of new event space, the county fair has opened its brand-new event center at Archer for this year’s Laramie County Fair. This space allows Cheyenne to attract new events, large agricultural meetings and conferences to the community. Indoor rodeos, concerts and festivals are all planned to utilize this space. The foresight of the voters to approve it, and the county’s efforts to build it adds a new quality of life amenity for the Cheyenne residents.
- That facility is not the only one that is raising the entertainment bar for Cheyenne. If you haven’t looked at the schedule for the Civic Center and appreciated the job that Cheyenne Recreation and Events is doing, take the time. From the Avett Brothers and Norah Jones to Rent and Cinderella the Musical, the quality and frequency of arts in the building has improved ten-fold in the past two years. Not to mention we have a world class orchestra that calls the building home, and local dance companies that perform there as well. You no longer need to leave Cheyenne to experience world class arts.
- Soon to join the performing arts experience downtown is the Lincoln Theater. I know I’ve looked with envy at shows the Moxie, Aggie and Washington’s put on several times a week. It is exciting that the Lincoln will soon offer that same caliber and variety of entertainment for Cheyenne. They now have their building permit and are ready to move forward.
- If you are burning up your data on your phone reading this, stop it. We now have Free Wi-Fi in downtown Cheyenne thanks to Microsoft and Charter.
- Have you toured the newly restored State Capitol? Take the time and take it all in. Visit the chambers where the territorial legislature guaranteed women the right to vote and hold public office. This is an amazing cultural anchor to Cheyenne and when paired with the State Museum, Nelson Museum of the West, and Depot Museum it offers residents and visitors a way to connect with our past.
Cheyenne is growing, and we are developing more and more amenities. I haven’t even mentioned the two trampoline parks planned for the east side, the Greenway expansion or the Sweetgrass development. It is very cool to live in a great city with great neighbors and a rich cultural history and future, come experience it with us!