Signature Winter Events around Rock Springs and Green River
Southwest Wyoming has Fun for Everyone
Find never-ending fun and family-friendly events that are centered on the great outdoors, fast-paced competitions and Western spirit. With so much to choose from, there’s an event or two for everyone to love this season in Rock Springs and Green River.
To help with the planning, we've highlighted our favorite winter events for you, from ice-fishing derbies to craft fairs. View our full events calendar for even more winter excitement.
Holiday Events
Free Carriage Rides
Select Saturdays in November & December
Celebrate a fairytale Christmas memory with your family in Downtown Rock Springs. Every Saturday between the end of November and mid-December, Downtown Rock Springs offers free horse-drawn-carriage rides in honor of Small Business Saturday. Stroll through the decked-out downtown streets and stop in a local store for unique souvenirs and gifts. Visit between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to experience the holiday magic.
Annual Lighted Holiday Parade
December
This cherished, kid-friendly event is held every year in Downtown Rock Springs. Bring the whole family and kick off your holiday season on a festive note. The fun begins on Elk Street with the Mayor Tree Lighting, where you’ll be dazzled by thousands of twinkling lights. Then, the Holiday Lighted Parade promenades through the historic downtown starting on the corner of C Street and Broadway.
Indoor Events
Home & Holidays Show
November
Join us at the Sweetwater Event Complex for the Annual Home & Holiday Show and Craft Fair. The Home & Holiday Show is a great place to purchase your home decorations and holiday gifts from local and national vendors — and it's free.
Up in Arms Gun Show
November
Every year, the Up in Arms Gun Show brings the best gun and knife vendors from across the northwest to the Sweetwater Events Complex. Whether you’re looking for a new piece or a gift for your hunting loved ones, you’ll find all of your gun and knife needs at this year's Up in Arms Gun Show.
Annual Bud Cup Hockey Tournament
March
The Rock Springs Men's Hockey Association (RSMHA), a member of the Amateur Hockey Association (AHA), hosts the annual Bud Cup Hockey Tournament. The tournament is held at the Rock Springs Family Recreation Center in Rock Springs and is an AHA-sanctioned tournament. This event is free and open to the public.
Sixteen teams set their schedule around this tournament to come in from Jackson Hole, Cheyenne, Park City, Salt Lake City, Bountiful, Fort Collins, Seattle and Nebraska.
In addition to the games, players spend personal time with local youth hockey players, providing instruction and techniques to work on. This exciting hockey tournament is "Hockey at its finest," as it provides a weekend of exceptional, wholesome family entertainment.
Ice-Fishing Tournaments
Burbot Bash
January
Burbot, also called ling cod, are just one of the species that make Sweetwater County one of the best places for cold-water fishing in the nation. Four types of cutthroat trout teem in the waters of the county's reservoirs, lakes, rivers and streams, along with other varieties of catfish, whitefish, salmon and smallmouth bass.
The ice-fishing season in the Flaming Gorge Reservoir gets rolling around mid-December when burbot, rainbow and smaller lake trout abound under the ice, giving anglers a chance to hone their line-flinging skills before January’s Burbot Bash.
This annual ice-fishing derby aims to diminish the population of invasive burbot in the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Anglers of all ages, in teams of up to four people, can compete for over $30,000 in cash prizes while helping to purge the infestation of burbot. Prizes are awarded in youth categories, as well as in adult groups for the most fish reeled in and the biggest fish caught. Expert and novice ice fishers can all enjoy a few days on the frozen Flaming Gorge.
For more information and to register for the event, contact the Flaming Gorge Chamber of Commerce at www.flaminggorgecountry.com, keep an eye on the Burbot Bash Facebook page or call 800-FL-GORGE.
Ding-The-Ling Ice-Fishing Derby
February
For more burbot fishing opportunities, return in February with your family and friends for the annual Ding-The-Ling Ice-Fishing Derby, sponsored by the LaBarge Activities Committee. The tournament takes place at Fontenelle Reservoir, which connects to the Green River — the city’s namesake waterway. Teams of two to four can compete for prizes up to $10,000! Check out the derby poster full of prize details, contest information and registration.
All contest participants should be sure to bring their valid Wyoming fishing license.
Looking for more Southwest Wyoming adventures? Explore more than 200 miles of scenic trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, check out special local events during your visit or even take in a thrilling Grizzlies ice-hockey game.