Rooted in Wyoming prepares for the 5th Annual Hoedown

The tradition of hoedowns in rural American culture reaches back to the founding of the US with fall festivals to celebrate harvest season. These were celebrations that allowed families to gather and honor the hard work and skills of the American farmer. 

Rooted in Wyoming’s 5th Annual Farm to Table & Hoedown will be held Sept. 25, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The doors will open and music will begin at 3:30 p.m. at  Born in a Barn located 415 US-14, Sheridan.

This year’s hoedown will include the Farm to Table Dinner which will be prepared using as many local and regional ingredients as possible, sourced from school & community gardens, local producers, and Sheridan County 4-H/FFA raised beef. Locally raised meat will be prepared by Nubbs BBQ.

This year, Rooted in Wyoming has added an experience that highlights the full-cycle of planting to end-use for the students and garden leaders while providing a unique hands-on learning of cooking, end use agricultural products, and even business. According to Executive Director of Rooted in Wyoming Lise Foy, students and garden leaders will be taking harvested produce to a local restaurant where they will meet with a chef to prepare and sample a unique side dish. That recipe will be remade in September by the restaurant and highlighted at the hoedown.

The hoedown will feature a live and online auction with bidding opening Wednesday, Sept. 1. Live music during the hoedown will feature The Wyoming Band, Wes Urbaniak and the Mountain Folk and Bluegrass Sounds (Chaz Cook and McKay Fleck). 

There will be activities for the whole family, including an American gothic photo booth, a scavenger hunt, lawn games and family face-painting. In Plain Air Quick Draw will auction art by Sonja Caywood and Polly Burge.

Tickets go on sale Aug. 9. By finding one of the many posters around town, patrons can be taken to the Rooted in Wyoming website by scanning the QR Code and purchasing tickets. 

 School and Garden Partnerships include:

    • Frackeltons / Big Horn Elementary

    • Sacketts / Garden of Grace 

    • Cottonwood Kitchen / Woodland Park Elementary 

    • Innominate Bakery / Tongue River Valley Community Center

    • Verdello / Holy Name Catholic School

For more information about Rooted in Wyoming and to learn about their mission, click here.