What the Sheepherders Festival Is
The Powder River Basin Sheepherders Festival is a two-day celebration at the Campbell County Rockpile Museum in Gillette that honors the men and women, past and present, who have herded sheep in northeast Wyoming. The first festival was held May 6-7, 2022, and organizers planned future editions for the first Friday and Saturday of May. The 2026 festival is May 8-9. It is a heritage and culture event rather than a competition, so there are no entries or classes.
What Happens There
The festival has grown each year. At the third festival in 2024 (May 10-11), the museum educator said it grew from two sheep wagons in the first year to nine, and about 600 people came. Admission was free for both days. Typical activities include:
- A sheep camp with food cooked on a stove, music, art and cultural activities
- Sheep and sheepdog demonstrations, including herding and agility
- Basque music and dancing, including Basque accordion
- A six-mile sheep drive of about 160 head from the L-W Sheep Camp to the museum (2024)
- Tours of the museum's outdoor exhibits: a homestead shack, blacksmith shop, rural schoolhouses and farm equipment
- A fiber art class where participants made wool sheep or highland cows (2024)
- Vendors selling fiber arts and lamb products
The Sheepherder's Dinner
The night before the festival, the Rockpile Museum Association hosts the Sheepherder's Dinner. The 2026 dinner was Friday, May 8, from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the field tent by Fire Station #1, 900 W 2nd St, Gillette. Seats were limited. At the 2024 festival, the cultural lamb dinner served five courses from different countries.
The Story Behind It
Scottish immigrants did most of the sheepherding in the late 1800s, and some became ranchers. In 1918, three women from Campbell County High School became the first female shepherds in the country, filling a labor gap left by herders who went to fight in World War I. Basque immigrants arrived in the 1920s and many settled in Johnson and Sheridan counties. Today's herders often come from the South American highlands, including Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Campbell County breeders, including the Reno, Wright and Archibald families, helped develop the Columbia sheep breed. As of 2019, Wyoming ranked fourth nationally in wool production and Campbell County ranked fourth in the state.
Organizers have talked about adding more music, literature and food from the ethnic groups that herded sheep, and about sheep wagon categories with awards such as best restoration or best "tiny home."
Where
Campbell County Rockpile Museum, Gillette, Wyoming. Festival activities are on the museum grounds; the dinner is at the field tent by Fire Station #1, 900 W 2nd St.
Questions
Does it cost to attend?
The festival was free in 2024. The dinner is a separate ticketed event with limited seating.
Can I bring a sheep wagon or animals?
The festival has featured sheep and goats from local owners and a sheep wagon on loan from a local family. Contact the Rockpile Museum if you want to take part.
Official Links
- 2026 Sheepherder's Dinner
- Wyoming Public Media: the first festival (2022)
- Wyoming Livestock Roundup: third annual festival (2024)
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- Dusty Vaquero Days
Two-day western weekend at the CAM-PLEX in Gillette, held at the end of May.
Gillette, WY Official event details - Campbell County and Crook County 4-H Showmanship Clinics
Three-day showmanship clinics run with Crook County: sheep and goats on June 3, swine on June 4 and beef on June 5, preparing members for fair and state competition.
Gillette, WY | Organizer: Campbell County Extension Official event details - Campbell County 4-H Horse Judging Contest
All-day horse judging contest for Campbell County 4-H members, running 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in early June at the venue named on the flyer.
Gillette, WY | Organizer: Campbell County 4-H Official event details - Campbell County 4-H Camp
Four-day summer 4-H camp for Campbell County members, held in late June.
Gillette, WY | Organizer: Campbell County Extension Official event details - Campbell County 4-H Progress Show
Early-season livestock progress show at the Kluz Performance Barn, starting at 8 a.m., where 4-H members get feedback on market animals before fair week.
Gillette, WY | Organizer: Campbell County 4-H Official event details
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.