Cheyenne's Frontier Park closed to public after string of vandalism incidents
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Cheyenne Frontier Days has closed Frontier Park to the public on non-event days after graffiti popped up around the park in two separate instances.
The first case of vandalism occurred early Halloween morning. Graffiti was painted throughout the west grandstand of the park's main arena. Some of the graffiti was benign: images of smiley faces, an ice cream cone, and a large face of a cat. Other images, however, included racist language, profanity and swastikas.
"We just finished having our west side stands painted just before Frontier Days," said John Contos, general chairman for Cheyenne Frontier Days. "A lot of tagging happened on that west side stand."
The second instance of vandalism occurred on Veteran's Day, Nov. 11. The graffiti was found in the Old Frontier Town section of the park. The thousands of dollars of damage from the two separate instances is something that is going to have to come out of the Frontier Days budget.
"This is leased ground from the city," Contos said. "In Wyoming, it's considered private property if it's leased property. Cheyenne Frontier Days is responsible for all that, including public safety."
They say the main reason for closing the park is to keep people safe. If someone were to get injured on the large property, Cheyenne Frontier Days could be held liable. The other reason is to preserve the historic space that has been in operation for 129 years. Frontier Park means a lot to visitors and locals alike.
"I'm going into my 43rd year as a volunteer in this organization," Contos said. "My family was involved. My father was heavily involved. I became involved. This is home, and this event is in everybody's heart."
The Cheyenne Police Department posted a video on Facebook, showing security camera footage from the park during the Nov. 11 incident. The public is encouraged to contact the police if they have any information on the suspects.
