Deer Creek Days

On the morning of June 27, 2026, Les Bennington, state president of Wyoming’s National Pony Express Association, rode at the head of the Deer Creek Days parade, leading members of that year’s Annual Pony Express Re-Ride down Birch Street. The Glenrock Independent reported a large number of entries, filling the main drag through downtown from start to finish. The parade stepped off at 10 A.M. and was part of the nationwide celebration of America’s 250th birthday. That weekend was the 50th Deer Creek Days.

The festival runs three days at the end of June in Glenrock, Converse County. The Glenrock Chamber of Commerce, known as Elevate Glenrock, organizes it. The festival’s own page calls the downtown Town Park “the center of activity.” Events also spread to Birch Street, the Town Square, Kimball Park, the library, the high school, the Rec Center, and South Rec, where the horse and bull events are held.

Friday on Birch Street

The 2026 festival opened at 11 in the morning with a barbecue at Hilltop Bank. By mid-afternoon the steak cook-off was under way on Birch Street. Cooks competed for the title of Deer Creek’s best steak, and the crowd voted for favorites. The record on this event is mixed. The posted schedule and a local radio listing both carried the cook-off for Friday afternoon. A Facebook event for the Steak Cook-Off Association cook-off on Birch Street carried the word “Cancelled” in its title. The Lions Club served dinner on the Burns Insurance lot from 4:30 to 8, and the FFA Project Sale ran on Birch Street from 5 to 7. The official welcome came at 5:45. A gospel concert followed in Town Park.

The Glenrock Games also began on Friday evening on Birch Street. Each team fields three boys and three girls of high school age or older. Teams earn points across challenges over two days, and the winners are announced at the Saturday street dance. Dummy roping filled Birch Street from 7 to 11. Ropers threw at a stationary dummy steer, with no live animals, and competed for the cleanest loop in the fastest time. Divisions ran by age and skill, and sign-ups were taken on the spot.

According to the Independent, the Town Square amphitheater hosted the 1980s rock band Great White that Friday. “We should have a good show,” said Mark Kendall, the band’s lead guitarist, who has been with Great White since its start in 1982.

Saturday: the gymkhana and the street dance

Saturday began at 7 A.M. with registration for the 5K run/walk at the high school. At 8:30 the 3-on-3 basketball tournament opened at the Rec Center. At South Rec, the Deer Creek Horse Club ran its gymkhana from 9 to 2, with riders working timed patterns such as barrel racing and pole bending. A jackpot barrel race followed from 4:30 to 7. The Glenrock Library held its book sale from 9 to 3.

After the parade, the vendor and craft fair opened in Town Park at 11. The Lions Club served lunch, bounce houses went up in the park, and Kimball Park held an ice cream social at noon. Merrily the Clown strolled Town Park through the afternoon. At 1, the Town Square held a chalk art contest and a cornhole tournament for teams of two, and bingo was called in the park.

The street dance ran from 7 to 11 on Birch Street. Peyton Phillips opened the evening, followed by Kaspen & Boxelder Stomp, and the Glenrock Games awards were handed out during the dance.

Sunday in Town Park

Sunday started with a pancake breakfast in Town Park from 8 to 10, then a worship service in the park at 10. By then the mud volleyball pit was in use, and play continued until 7. Teams are co-ed, six to a side, with an even number of men and women in the pit at all times. The losing team supplies the referees for the next game. Glenrock’s Strongest Competition ran alongside it, with heavy carries, lifts, and timed strength events. From 10 to 1, children ages 5 to 13 competed free in the Glenrock Kids Games, which included an ATV pull, races, and obstacle challenges.

The Corvette Club car show lined the park with Corvettes, from classic to modern, from 10 to 2:30. The Sentinels Bike Show ran beside it until 3. The gymkhana, the bike show, and the Kids Games were all new in 2026. The weekend closed at South Rec with underground bull riding from 4 to 6:30, which organizers billed as an up-close arena setting.

Fifty years from Glenrock Days

The festival was once called Glenrock Days. At the 50th edition, Elevate Glenrock director Chris Sorenson credited one predecessor. “Honestly, it’s kind of a blessing,” he told the Independent. “Bonita (Hunt) passed on such a great torch. Without her we wouldn’t have any of this.” For the milestone, the paper reported, Elevate increased its advertising and returned to some old ways of fund raising to honor how the celebration got its start.

The Independent wrote that for many families in and around Converse County, attending for a day or all three is a long-standing tradition. Before the 50th, the paper asked Sorenson and Elevate Glenrock board president John Moulton to name their favorite activity. Both were slightly stumped, and neither was sure he could pick just one.

On July 2, 2026, the festival posted its thanks: “That was a celebration for the record books thanks to volunteers, attendees and more. Thank you for your part in making it an awesome weekend in Glenrock! We hope to see you again in 2027.”