Discovery Days will feature variety of music

Wyoming Discovery Days (formerly Big Horn Basin Folk Festival) takes place Saturday and Sunday, August 7-8 in Hot Springs State Park.  

This year’s theme – Wyoming Rails, Trails & Folk Tales - will celebrate Wyoming’s unique cultural heritage through stories, music, food, art, and demonstrations. There will be music at the Pavilion both days. John Brooks, Silvertip Digital Sound Reinforcement, will provide the sound system.

The music lineup for Wyoming Discovery Days brings a multitude of talent to the Pavilion stage in Hot Springs State Park on both Saturday and Sunday. New this year is Tom Bercher (Shell), strolling the park grounds playing the bagpipes.

Members of the International Western Music Association (IWMA) Wyoming Chapter will kick off Saturday.  They will be followed by Silvertip String Band made up of Harold Hutson and friends. David Romtvedt (Buffalo), Humanities Scholar and interpreter of the Basque music tradition, will continue the musical presentations.  The performances at the Pavilion on Saturday will end with Wyoming’s own Jalan Crossland.  Crossland, from Ten Sleep, is a singer-songwriter who cuts across American bluegrass, Americana, and alternative country.  He is sure to sneak in some good stories to keep the audience on their toes.  

Sunday’s lineup will bring back members of the IWMA Wyoming Chapter.  Next up is “V”, The Gypsy Cowbelle, a familiar face around the Big Horn Basin and beyond, who will perform old favorites and new material.  Spring Up Worship, made up of Shelley Butler, Stepheny Butcher, and Miranda Nelson will sing next. Then Silvertip String Band will be back with Harold Hutson and friends.  Closing out Sunday at the Pavilion before the Gift of the Waters Pageant begins at the Big Spring will be one more showcase presentation by friends of the IWMA Wyoming Chapter.

The festival is open to the public without charge.  Wyoming Arts Council, Wyoming Humanities Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts have provided special funding to help with the event.  There is additional funding from local and state sponsors including the public and private sector.

The festival is held the same weekend as the Gift of the Waters Pageant Days. The Pageant tells how the hot springs were given to the state by the Native Americans from the Wind River Reservation. It will be performed starting around 6 p.m. in the area around the Big Spring on Saturday and Sunday evening.

Visit the website for an entry form and submit by July 15.  

Contact info@wyomingdiscoverydays.org for specific inquiries or visit wyomingdiscoverydays.org