In some parts of the US, Santa wears a cowboy hat. Here’s where to find a Western holiday.
I ’m told that when I call I should ask for “ Cowboy Claus . ”That , plus a mates of pictures I discover on theOvando Old West Christmas Festpage of a mystical manon horsebackis all I have to go on . He ’s wearing a foresightful leather duster , aristocratical jeans , and a pitch-black cowboy lid . On his face is a familiar — and unmistakable — copious blanched beard .
ground in 1806 , Ovando , Montanais a nigh - knit ranching community of about 100 people nestled on the bank of the Blackfoot River , a stone stay for those on their way to the vastBob Marshall Wilderness Complex . From the main road you ’ll see a topically noted taproom discover Trixi ’s Antler Saloon , an former barracks strewn with retro arcade game , gambling machine , and animal heads . Head into town and you ’ll hit a row of Western mistaken - front building include a restaurant call the Stray Bullet .
If this town has a nonmigratory Santa , one might more easily picture him carrying a six - gun for hire than a cup of tea of nowadays .
Cheyenne, Wyoming’s Santa Claus, right before he takes off to the North Pole.|Photo courtesy of Matt Idler Photography
But when I get the big guy wire on the telephone , his jocund timbre indicates quite the inverse . This is no tight - lipped mountain man , but a strong garrulous do - gooder prostrate to explanation , belike thanks to old age served as a wild outfitter . His appointee to Cowboy Claus follow ten years ago , by chance event . TheoldCowboy Claus ’s dog resolve to have puppies on festival day , so the townspeople ask a last - minute switch . “ I was a bit apprehensive , but it has twist into believably the swell volunteer thing I do every single year . ”
Over the past few year cowboy culturehas leap over the fences of ranches and into the mainstream . While the rise in popularity can easily be impute to theYellowstone — or Beyoncé — effect , many communities across the res publica have beenkeeping the culture alive , especially during the holidays . Las Vegas’sCowboy Christmas , coinciding with the National Finals Rodeo , for example , has take position since 1986 . And the Ovando Old West Christmas Fest has been around for two decades , filling the air with odor of hot cocoa , gingerbread houses , and petting zoological garden . They even support the trademark on the phrasal idiom “ Cowboy Claus ” ( maybe . Cowboy Claus is fairly sure ) .
The most significant thing you need to know about Cowboy Claus is that he ’s not the actual Santa Claus , but simply in his employ . “ I ’m here to assist Santa Claus , because he has so many stops that he has to make , ” he say . “ I ’m a upstage cousin . And that ’s what I tell all of the hoi polloi as I ride into town . ”
Cowboy Claus in Ovando, Montana. This hat works much better in the snow tbh.|Photo courtesy of Kathy Schoendoerfer
After come on his sure steed — a gorgeous sand - colored Halflinger name Nickles and Dimes , St. Nick for short — along Highway 200 , Claus chief to the Ithiel Town ’s museum , where there is a little saw horse congeal up for visitors that hail from as far asKalispelland Missoula . “ I get all the kids to describe up , and they skip up on that saddleback and tell me what they desire for Christmas . ” Today the museum domiciliate a collecting of local memorabilia , tale of settlers , homestead mapping , and information about Ovando ’s past . But suitably for a furrowed Cowboy Claus ’s stead , it was once an onetime westerly salooncalled “ Bucket of Blood . ”
While Ovando ’s Cowboy Claus is merely Santa ’s proxy , about 800 miles southwest , the majuscule of Wyoming claims to have the real deal . Throughout the calendar month of December isCheyenne ’s Old West Holiday , where every Saturday you could meet Santa , at the 1883 Whipple House .
It ’s the real Santa , too . As the fib goes , Kris Kringle started out as a rancher in Wyoming . Then one day he was script - take for the job of Santa Claus , Tim Allen - way . That ’s accord to Domenic Bravo , CEO of Visit Cheyenne , who happens to also play Santa during Old West Holiday . “ Ultimately , Santa Claus gets take , but he patently had a liveliness before that , ” explain Bravo . “ He has to go to the North Pole , but luckily , the rest of the year he gets to keep his old aliveness . ” When he ’s not at the North Pole , Santa homesteads in Cheyenne with his gymnastic horse , while his reindeer and Mrs. Claus mind up northward early to have down the fort and get present tense ready . And when the metre comes Santa hop on a historic aeroplane , and accept off to unite them .
Festive decor in Cheyenne.|Photo courtesy of Matt Idler Photography
When we talk , Bravo , a former Nevada law enforcement parking area forest fire fighter , intentionally slips in and out of the character of Claus . I necessitate what makes Cheyenne ’s Western Claus dissimilar from the one at the New Jersey mall and he answers “ he ’s obviously advantageously at taking care of reindeer . ” To the question : “ How long has this Old West Holiday tradition been happening ? ” He answers “ Of of course Santa homestead here before he became Santa ; he ’s had his homestead in Cheyenne since the 1700s . ”
“ He has to go to the North Pole , but fortunately , the respite of the year he baffle to keep his old biography . ”
In reality , Old West Days were created in 2020 , stepping up Cheyenne ’s reputation as a rodeo Ithiel Town and home of the famedCheyenne Frontier Days . It takes the downtown back in time with “ Santa Stops , ” like “ Cindy Lou ’s Apothecary , ” Rusty the Rocking Horse at the Wyoming State Museum , and Kringle Ranch where you could run into Santa ’s horse . There’san accompanying mapand passport to keep track of your progress and maybe finally win a prize . And other events throughout the month include a track of the Santas , a Christmas Parade , letter drop a line to Santa and a cowboy Christmas market with Western gear and detail like antler Christmas trees .
Cheyenne’s Santa swaps hats for the Christmas parade.|Photo courtesy of Matt Idler Photography
“ Here in Cheyenne thing have always been pretty westerly , ” say Bravo . “ It ’s kind of fun to be able to spotlight it differently during the holiday . ”
On December 15 doors subject at 9:30 am at the Cheyenne Airport Terminal to see Santa off to the North Pole . At 10:30 am Bravo board the plane and up , up and away he ( and his pilot ) go . But they do n’t actually go anywhere . “ The airport is moderately large , because we also provide the landing strip for the Air Guard , ” say Bravo . “ We just chop-chop go up and then land back down . Just enough to keep the magic in place . ”
There ’s the traditional imagewe think of when it comes to Santa Claus : white beard , red cheek , cherry suit , and black kick . The influence for this particular picture is attributed toThomas Nast , a Civil War cartoonist who in 1862 drew Santa Claus for the widely - readHarper ’s Weekly . act upon by his native German tradition of Saint Nicholas , a fourth - C bishop know for his kind generosity , he depicted a melancholic Santa as a symbol of the sacrifice by the Union during the Civil War . It was Nast who later film Claus to the North Pole , and gave him a workshop and a Koran filled with the name calling of children who were risque and courteous .
Ovando’s Cowboy Claus and his horse, St. Nick.|Photo courtesy of Kathy Schoendoerfer
But Santa has always reflected local cultures . In India he comes by horse - drawn pushcart . In Australia , December means summer , so he surfs and jet ski , and sometimes his sled is pulled by kangaroo ( there ’s a song about this called “ Six White Boomers , ” which intend something different when it was written in 1960 ) . In Mongolia the tradition was brought over by the Russians and holler “ Grandpa of Winter . ” He assume blue and silver , and brings presents to New Year ’s Eve parties . In Japan he is the circular and jolly Buddhistic monk , Hotei - osho .
And in some component of the US he is a cowboy . These days our symbolisation of rugged individualism is less powerful and wanderlust - y and more down and dirty in the agrarian sense . He appreciates nature . Hewrites poesy . But for cowboy Santa , two things will never change : He will always have the hat and the white beard , and he will always come hold presents .
Looking for some Cowboy Christmas magic for yourself? Here are options, from Jackson Hole to Brooklyn
A Cowboy ChristmasSanta Ynez Valley , CaliforniaThrough December 21Held at the stables of Santa Ynez Valley Horseback Rides , this rodeo rider Christmas is a full - on product . That stand for not only are there body process like horseshoe ornament creation , petting menagerie , and pony palm ( with arc and tinsel and things ) , there ’s also an experiential “ North Pole drive ” where kids have to block up the Grinch from steal nowadays , and a “ tiddly ornament challenge , ” a race where adults compete on horseback balancing an egg on a spoonful . Plus Santa comes with his own mini “ Rangifer tarandus ” , ( which we ’re guessing is a pony , but you ’ll have to go to determine out ) .
Cheyenne ’s Old West HolidayCheyenne , WyomingThrough New Year ’s EveCheyenne was already known worldwide for their Frontier Days rodeo and westerly festivity , held since 1897 and now drawing 200,000 people annually in search of westerly immersion . So it was a no - brainer to branch out into the vacation realm . Their Old West Holiday was launched in 2020 and transforms the town into what it would have been like in the 1700s , where , they say , Santa homesteaded before he got the calling . There are Santa ’s Stops throughout town to get your “ passport ” stamp and activities let in holiday lightings , trolley tours , Christmas teas , magic shows , a yuletide market , and so much more .
Holiday event in Jackson HoleJackson Hole , WyomingThrough New Year ’s DayJackson Hole ’s Santa may swing in on a snowboard rather than pulling up on a trusty steed , but the town has an undeniable westerly blood . The historic Wort Hotel has 12 days of celebration , admit a naughty or decent Christmas company at theMillion Dollar Cowboy Bar . And visitors can take a sleigh ride through Wyoming’sNational Elk Refuge , which is moderately much just like being at the North Pole .
Old West Christmas Light FestBoerne , TexasThrough December 23Held in the Western - themed village of Enchanted Springs Ranch , surround by Texas Hill Country , there are not just lights at this festival , but a mechanically skillful bull , optical maser tag , and alive music in the ranch ’s functional saloons . The mission of the ranch is to foster a deep taste for the natural world and its creature . Roaming freely on their estate there are longhorn Bos taurus , buffalo , cervid and antelope . During the festival visitors are welcome to get up closemouthed and personal with smaller critter at their petting zoo , plus bring their own pets to enjoy the festive action .
Wild West ChristmasDogwood Pass , OhioThrough December 22If you need an Old West Christmas go directly to the source : the Old West . Or at least a reproduction . The secluded Dogwood Pass in southern Ohio was designed to be as confining to a late-1800s excavation town as potential , and during the year operate as a tourist magnet where visitors can swallow up themselves in 32 building of a living chronicle — include some more theatrical view , like Wild West Shows and torpedo fights . During the holiday season it ’s all that , plus mess of lights , and visit from Santa and the Grinch .
The Cowboy Channel ’s Cowboy ChristmasLas Vegas , NevadaDecember 5 - 14Coinciding with the 2024 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo , the ultimate showdown of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association , Cowboy Christmas is a monumental Las Vegas market occasion with 350 exhibitor on more than 500,000 square feet of show floor in the Vegas convention center . If you get tired of browsing everything from handmade furniture to custom western wearing , you could wander over to a live degree with performances , the junior rodeo final examination , or to have an audience with Santa .
Old Fashioned Cowboy ChristmasMedora , North DakotaDecember 6 - 8NearTheodore Roosevelt National Park , Medora may be well - fuck for its long - running summertime Broadway - styleMedora Musical . But there ’s no shortage of entertainment in wintertime months , include the fun , A Magical Medora Christmas ( through December 22 ) and their own Cowboy Christmas festivities , which occupy over the snow-white streets with trafficker , gymnastic horse - drawn carriage rides , lights , a pub crawl , gingerbread house competition , book signings , rides , and performances by bluegrass act the Waddington Brothers . They ’ll also be demonstrate the National Rodeo Finals at theNorth Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame .
Christmas RendezvousAugusta , MontanaDecember 8Augusta is a charming Ithiel Town of 316 people , incisively what you picture when you think “ humble - township Montana . ” A gateway to the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the Lewis and Clark National Forest , every yr they also host one ofMontana ’s honest-to-god rodeos , for some extra westerly pedigree . At their Christmas Rendezvous there ’s your requisite rustic made - in - Montana handcrafted items and your outdoor fire orchestra pit , plus a visit from Santa . But you ’re going to desire to tire out your best gear for the horse - drawn hay rides .
Holiday at Grant - KohrsDeer Lodge , MontanaDecember 8TheGrant - Kohrs Ranchis a internal historic site that commemorates the Western cattle industry . construct in 1862 , every class it opens its doors for outsider to locomote back in fourth dimension and see how those who ran the cattle imperium lived . There are also horse - pull wagon drive and marshmallows to toast . And if you ’ve ever want a script - forged smoothing iron confect cane straight from the blacksmith shop class , well , you ’re in luck .
Paisley Fields Presents : A Cowboy ChristmasBrooklyn , New YorkDecember 13The locale of Littlefield is more known for its indie clowning shows . But this December 13 it exit area , when Brooklyn - establish queer country creative person Paisley Fields hosts a night of music and line terpsichore ( including moral if you ’re not up on your move ) . On the roll is music from Dale Hollow , She Returns From War , and plenty of glitter .
Phippen Museum ’s Cowboy ChristmasPrescott , ArizonaDecember 13 to 15Arizona ’s Phippen Museum traces the culture of the American West through works by cattleman and Indigenous artists ( you ’ll know you ’ve found it when you see the bronze statue of the bucking broncho out of doors ) . On Cowboy Christmas look a Western - themed storytime , liberal arts and craft , and a exceptional pet photo academic session with Santa for furry friends .
