I Spent The Weekend At Longmire Days 2019 in Buffalo!
Buffalo, Wyoming holds a special place in my heart. I'd previously spent a weekend in the off-season checking out the local haunted hotel, charming downtown, and fabulous local museum. This time, however, I was there during the craziest weekend for the small northern Wyoming town: Longmire Days 2019.
Author Craig Johnson is from the Buffalo area and when he wrote his Longmire Mystery Novels, he created a fictional town known as Durant, Wyoming with the Absaroka County Sheriff, Walt Longmire. Durant is based on Buffalo, and once a year the residents trade in the name of their town for the fictional one and welcome fans and stars alike to celebrate the show and all things Wyoming.
I landed in Buffalo on Saturday morning, just barely missing the Longmire Days Parade. I pitched my tent on my friends' property next to their meat cutting business, let my dog explore and play a little, and then hit the town.
Downtown, the central square was decked out with photo booths, inflatable play places for the kids, shaved ice, and some of the best BBQ I've ever had. It was when I was checking out the local shops that I saw the first evidence for the reason for my trip. Tank Tops and T-shirts had been made up with "Longmire Roller Derby," on the front, and the name "The Terror" on the back.
Katee Sackoff, who played Detective Vic Moretti on the show, had decided to participate in our special Roller Derby double-header and had chosen the derby name "The Terror," after her on-set nickname. She was far from the only star of the show to watch and participate in the game, as John Bishop volunteered his services to be the Jam Timer for the whole event, yelling and blowing his whistle like a pro.
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As a huge Battlestar Galactica Fan as well as a Longmire Fan, I was a little starstruck by Starbuck, but she was so kind and took time to talk to everyone and sign as many things as she could when she wasn't on roller skates. At half-time of the adult game, she was kind enough to compliment me on my skating, and then signed my nerdy BSG picture.
While I was there I checked out the street dance downtown, chatted with a few other stars of the show, referred for the junior roller derby game, and hit the local skate park. It was a blast and I highly recommend turning Longmire Days into one of your yearly traditions. It'll certainly be one of mine! Longmire Days is a yearly celebration in Buffalo and you can get updates on next year's dates and events with the Buffalo Area Chamber of Commerce.