Homesteader Days: Gather Around the Table and the Town
The roar of antique tractors, homemade pies, LIVE music and a barrel train…now that’s how you celebrate harvest time in the Big Horn Basin! It’s that time of year again and the 14th annual Homesteader Days Festival hosted by the Homesteader Museum in Powell, Wyoming is just around the corner. Homesteader Museum Executive Director, Brandi Wright visited with the Cody Journal about all the upcoming family fun!
According to Wright, “The countless hours of preparation, idea generation, and coordination that have fueled this agriculture based endeavor for the last 14 years; is all made possible by the selfless volunteers!”
Homesteader Days History
There is a collective passion in the Big Horn Basin to continue to share the important aspects of western homesteading and agriculture, which are fundamental to the foundation of many of our Wyoming communities. Trades like woodworking, threshing, horse training, quilting, automotive invention, and blacksmithing came about through the necessity of working and living from the land. Farming practices and traditions have been passed down and cultivated for generations in the Basin.
“Colonel William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody made the area now occupied by the Shoshone Irrigation District (SID) famous in the early days of the West. Buffalo Bill and his companions were the first to perceive the possibilities of turning the sagebrush flats of Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin into a land of agricultural abundance through irrigation. Water was first delivered to homesteaders in the Powell area in April of 1908.” (History of the Shoshone Water Project)
Festival Growth and Popularity
In 2024, Homesteader Days volunteers recorded 3,965 people attending the festival. According to records, Homesteader Days activities grow in popularity every year. There are even out-of-state families who have called the museum in past years to make sure it is still held every second weekend in September. They double-checked the timing because they plan their vacation from Georgia specifically around it EVERY year! Much like the visitors, locals look forward to the harvest time festivities. It is a wonderful chance for both agricultural and town folks alike to gather around the table and the town to enjoy each other’s company. Take the opportunity in a few weeks to take a step back in time and be immersed in history, honored traditions, and fun!
Homesteader Days Schedule of Events:
Sponsored by Park County Travel Council and Keele Sanitation
Farm to Table Dinner
Friday September 12th, 2025
6:00 – 9:00 pm (Tickets are SOLD OUT)
Park County Fairgrounds, Powell, WY
The Farm to Table Fundraising Dinner is an event for guests 21 and older. This year’s dinner will be prepared by Sarah Bear’s Farmhouse Kitchen, which sources ingredients from local farms and businesses in the Big Horn Basin. People come together for an outdoor dining experience and to enjoy each other’s company while eating farm-fresh food.
Pancake Breakfast
Pancake Breakfast – $5.00 per person
Saturday September 13th, 2025
7:00 – 10:00 am
Eagles Aerie Powell #2426, Powell, WY
Vehicle Visions Club: Car, Truck, & Tractor Show
Saturday September 13th, 2025
10:00 am – 1:00pm
Eagles Aerie Powell #2426, Powell, WY
Homesteader Days Festival
Saturday September 13th, 2025
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
321 1st Street: Powell, WY
10:00 am Live Music by The Rewinders Begins
10am – 1pm Silent Auction – rusty gold, trinkets & treasures
10:00 am – 3:00 pm Ag/Artisan Demonstrations, Kids Crafts, Vendors (Art, Community, & Food)
12:15 – 1:00 PM Root Beer Floats: FREE!
1:30 PM Ruby Hopkin Commemorative Pie Auction
New! Battle on the Bench: Car Drag Race
Sunday September 14, 2025
7:00 am
Powell Airport
Hosted by: Leann and Tim Kindred
Gates Open – 7:00 am
Tech Inspection – 7:30 am
Driver’s meeting – 8:30-8:45 am
Racing – 9:00 am
Entry Fees:
- Spectators- $10/person 12 & under free (bring a chair)
- Racers- $60 run all day
Article by Lindsay Shaw
Owner of Blue Spruce Ink
Writing Partner of the Cody Journal
Lindsay Shaw is a fifth-generation Wyomingite who loves connecting with her community! She's a marketing maven who offers a range of services for marketing, branding, writing, and design projects. An inspired and well-designed story, implemented with strategy, can change everything! Let's craft solution-oriented outcomes for your next project or long-term goal together.