The Star Valley 2022 Summer Events Calendar
Summer is the time to be in Star Valley, with average high temperatures in the 70- and 80-degree ranges and a wealth of summer activities for residents and visitors to western Wyoming. Below are just some of the many great summer events taking place in Star Valley in 2022.
Mid-April, 2022: Star Valley View Golf Course Opens
Star Valley is the home of Star Valley View Golf Course, one of the best public golf courses in Wyoming. Star Valley View is an 18-hole, 6010-yard course designed by golf legend Johnny Miller, a frequent visitor and vacationer in Star Valley. The course is located just east of U.S. 89 at the south end of Afton and opens in mid-April, weather permitting.
June 1st, 2022: Wyoming Free Fishing Day - Valley-Wide
Enjoy a day of free fishing in beautiful Star Valley! This special day for the outdoorsman in all of us gives you free access to the Salt River, Greys River, Palisades, and the countless other fishing spots Star Valley has to offer. For details on all you need to know about fishing in Star Valley, check out this article. To learn more about Wyoming's Free Fishing Day, visit this link to the Wyoming Fish & Game site.
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June 7th, 2022: Wyoming Sportsman's Gun Show in Afton
The very popular Sportsman Gun Show comes to Star Valley this summer. They'll have everything you'd expect to see: guns, accessories and survival supplies. This event will take place at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds, right in the heart of Afton. For more event details, including entrance fees, visit this link.
June 21st - 25th, 2022: Blue Sky Music Camp, Afton, Ford Theater
A week-long camp for students of all ages that will take them from the classroom to the stage! With instruction in both a primary and secondary instrument, they learn improv, backup and how to play with a band from professional educators & musicians. Students learn techniques & prepare for a final performance in their very own band! Learn more at the Salt River Arts web site.
June 24th - 26th, 2022: Alpine Mountain Days, Alpine
The Town of Alpine invites you to its annual outdoor festival - Mountain Days! This three-day event is filled with fun for the whole family - a fine art and craft show, food vendors, mountain man and Native American performances and activities, live music, raffle drawings, and more! Visit the Town of Alpine's web site to learn more.
June 28th & 29th, 2022 - Afton Freedom Festival, Afton
The week following Alpine's Mountain Days, the other end of Star Valley fires up the Afton Freedom Festival. This event features a parade down main street, three-on-three basketball tournament, vendors, a fish scramble and the Afton Junior Rodeo, with fireworks on the 29th! Visit the Facebook event page to learn more. The week following Alpine's Mountain Days, the other end of Star Valley fires up the Afton Freedom Festival. This event features a parade down main street, three-on-three basketball tournament, vendors, a fish scramble (pictures below), and the Afton Junior Rodeo, with fireworks on the 29th! Visit their Facebook event page to learn more.
June 29th, 2022: Afton Art Fair, Afton
In collaboration with the Town of Afton's Freedom Festival, the Star Valley Arts Council will be hosting its first annual Afton Art Fair. Visitors can attend this free event at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in Afton, to see fabulous fine art on display (and for sale!) from local Star Valley artists, including Doug Monson, Clark Kelley Price, and many others. Visit the event page on the Star Valley Arts Council's web site for more details.
July, 2022, Each Friday & Saturday - Rock Church Summer Theater, Auburn
The Rock Church Summer Theater play in Auburn will be held each Friday and Saturday, at 7:30pm, with doors opening at 7pm. Traci Sellers is the playwright and she says the play will incorporate Star Valley history as it always does with some stories she learned from her mother-in-law.
“Her father was the Marshal of Thayne,” Sellers said. “And he was involved in Thayne's one and only shootout.” After learning that she decided to do some studying of her own and found that her mother-in-law's two oldest sisters were married on the same day to two brothers from Freedom, Wyoming who were working as their farm hands. “That's where the facts end and literary license took over,” Sellers said laughing. “And I was like 'We could have a little fun with this'. We could have these two sisters think there was just one brother.
“Then we could have these brothers think that there was just this one sister. Their paths never cross, they just never met up with each other.” So the story will incorporate those ideas and a shootout and is the play is entitled Trouble on the Double. She also says that she took notes on her interview with her mother-in-law and will put them in the program as interesting facts. After that came the effort in writing the show. “It took me about four years to put this together,” Sellers said. “It was a long haul in just the writing of the script.” She says her daughter writes poetry and helped her put together some lyrics for the songs and Ilene Humphries helped her put the music together. She says seeing this all come together is “delightful”.
“Every time we have to go to a rehearsal, I am so excited to see it in living color,” Sellers said. She says the cast also put their stamp on the creative process by coming up with things for the characters. Director Kristin Bringhurst is on her 12th year of running the Rock Church Play and she says this year the cast is very big and the actors have doubles.
“Because this is based on a real family,” Bringhurst said. “They had ten kids. So, this is a lot of people on stage.” She says because of this if you know someone that's in the show and want to go see them, double check what night they are actually performing so you can make sure you see them. She says overall the cast is “fantastic”.
Bringhurst also says the prices have changed a little bit as it used to be just a standard $5 fee to get in. The charge for adults is $10, students is $5, and children five and under are free. Because there is not internet at the building, it may be best to bring cash.
“We will not be swiping cards at the church,”
Bringhurst said.
All money will be used to cover expenses, maintain the building, and will go to the historical society. She also says come early to check out the pre-show as there will be different talent each night performing.
July 4th, 2022: Town/Community July 4th Parades and Celebrations:
- Thayne Independence Weekend, Thayne
July 2nd - SVI Music Festival 2pm - 10pm, Cornhole Tournament, Foods, Crafts, Shopping Vendors, Children's Water Activities.
July 4th - 6am: 5K Fun Run, 7am: Firemen Breakfast, Flag Ceremony, Unity Park, 10am: Parade, 12pm: Firemen Carnival, Fundraiser Lunch, 10pm: Fireworks at the Thayne Rodeo Arena.
July 8th, 2023: Star Valley Half Marathon - Grover & Thayne
With beautiful scenery and cool summer temperatures, Star Valley is the perfect place for a summer run! This beautiful course begins in the Bridger National Forest. You'll run the first 2 miles down a road lined with trees and breathtaking mountain scenes. The rest of the course winds through the beautiful, rolling farmlands of Turnerville, Bedford, and ends at Thayne elementary school. To learn more about this race or to sign up, visit their web site.
July 10th, 2022: Star Valley Mud Rally, Afton
This down-and-dirty event is only in its third year, but it already boasts a participation rate of over 50 cars and thousands in attendance. The Star Valley Mud Rally takes place across from the Cutter Track (west of the Simplot baseball and soccer fields on Allred Road) in Afton. Admission to this event is completely free; however they do accept donations, the proceeds of which go to support local Star Valley families in need.
July 11th - 16th, 2022: National Stockdog Finals, Fairgrounds, Afton
Association returned this week, but with an expanded venue, bringing in more teams and officials to compete and judge in a series of arenas at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in Afton. Teams and judges have come from Idaho, Utah, Washington, Kentucky, Texas, Florida and Alabama.
The public is invited to attend any of stock dog events involving both cattle and sheep at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds, in Afton, for no charge. Events start at 8:30am each day and continue through Saturday, July 17. There is no charge.
Stock Dog Association President Steve Wight and his management team are overseeing the handlers, many with multiple dogs. Events include a handler and dog working a group of sheep or cattle into a designated pin. The handlers direct their dogs with verbal commands or whistles. Judges review the process and the time needed to accomplish each task. As part of the visit to Lincoln County, the stock dog association allows the Lincoln County 4-H program to sell food and refreshments, in addition to holding an auction for the visiting handlers. “We do the auction and they buy the items and that money, 100 percent, is given to your local 4-H,” Wight reported.
A schedule for the final events, can be found at https://mountainstatesstockdog.com/.
July 16th, 2022: Star Valley Art Trail, Afton
For decades, The Star Valley Art's Council has been establishing new traditions in creation, celebration and exposure to quality art in the Star Valley community. This year brings a new tradition – the Star Valley Art Trail. This event, taking place Saturday, July 16 from 9am to 1pm, involves over 30 visual and performing artists, who will be at various locations throughout Afton, displaying and presenting their work.
“Star Valley is filled with awe-inspiring artists and creators. To showcase their work is a privilege,” commented Jennifer Wilkins in an interview with SVI Media. Wilkins is serving as the Arts Council Event Lead for the Art Trail. “There is an incredible amount of unique art in our valley, and the Art Trail is dedicated to showcasing as many artists as possible. This is an annual event we hope will continue to grow and inspire artists and art lovers in the Star Valley community.” At various stops along the 4 1⁄4 mile-trail, art will be for sale, performing artists will be entertaining, and custom cars and fabrications will be on display. It will be like an outdoor art gallery, where the public can either walk or drive to designated locations to enjoy the art on display or witness a performance.
July 29th & 30th, 2022: Star Valley Quilt Trail, throughout the valley
The Star Valley Quilt Trail is a quilt show featuring quilts exhibited in the towns along Scenic Byway, Highway 89 in the Star Valley of Wyoming. It’s a combination of gorgeous quilts, spectacular scenery, and western adventure.
The first Quilt Trail was held in the summer of 2017 and will reoccur every third year. All quilt makers are invited to enter their work in this viewer judged show.
Guest artist, teachers, vendors, special exhibits and local shops add to the adventure of this unique quilt show!
August 6th-13th, 2022: Lincoln County Fair, Afton
Arguably the biggest summer event in Star Valley has just gotten bigger. The Lincoln County Fair Board books well-known artists for the main musical event for the fair each year. The fair also includes the 4th-annual Swift Idol competition, EnduroCross motorbike competition, rodeo, bull riding and much more. And of course don't forget all the vendors (including food!), carnival rides, and exhibitors to come and visit. The Lincoln County Fair is Star Valley at its finest. Learn more on their web site or on their Facebook page.
August 19th & 20th, 2022: Alpine Car Show, Alpine
Star Valley's biggest car show is held in Alpine each year, and it doesn't disappoint. 24 separate awards will be given out this year, giving attendees a great opportunity to see cars from a lot of different classes and varieties. Food vendors will be available and an evening cookout will be held on the 17th. To learn more, visit the Town of Alpine's web site.
Late August, 2022: Intermittent Spring “Disappears”
If you take Swift Creek Road (2nd Avenue) East from Afton, you'll eventually come to a small parking lot at the end of the road. If you hike about 2/3 of a mile from there, you'll come to a small stream that feeds Swift Creek. Unless you happen to be there between late August and May, in which case the stream may or may not be there at all!
The Intermittent Spring, the largest naturally occurring periodic spring in the world, runs for about eighteen minutes at a time, then slows and stops entirely for about the same amount of time, before starting back up again. Visit beginning in late August to see one of Wyoming's—and the world's—natural wonders. Click for a Blog Post on the Intermittent Spring.
September 10th, 2022: LoToJa Classic Passes Through Star Valley, Afton & Alpine
This 200+ mile road bike race from Logan to Jackson (hence the name), makes its appearance in two Star Valley towns each year. Entry information can be found on the LOTOJA web site, or you can come and cheer on the participants or volunteer at the Afton or Alpine checkpoints.
Around September 15th, 2022: Hunting Season Begins
Star Valley and the surrounding areas are excellent locations for trophy hunting, and Boone and Crockett-registered animals have been taken in and around Star Valley. Although the Wyoming Game & Fish Department reserves the right to change the opening of the season, deer and moose hunting seasons are expected to open around September 15, 2022.
For exact dates and more info, see the WY Game & Fish web site.
September 19th - 24th, 2022: Star Vally Plein Air
The Star Valley Arts Council is excited to debut Star Valley Plein Air. We invite all interested artists–beginner or experienced–to participate in painting the beautiful scenery of Star Valley and its surrounding areas.
Artists will paint from September 19th through the 22nd. On September 23rd and 24th artists will showcase their pieces at Western Skies Art Gallery in Afton where they can compete for three sponsor awards, six judges awards, and sell their pieces to the community. An awards ceremony will be held the evening of September 24th at the Afton Civic Center.
For full details please visit starvalleyarts.org/events