Wyoming Red
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Food Line
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Bondurant Church
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Bondurant BBQ
by Clint Gilchrist
June 27, 2004
The annual Bondurant BBQ was held Sunday June 27, 2004. For the first time in many years, there was a bit of rain. However, almost everyone was served before the drizzle started and the heavier rain didn’t come until late in the afternoon. After 64 years of doing this, the community has become very good at serving 300-500 people efficiently and fast. Nobody has to stand around and wait very long for the traditional BBQ beef, potato salad, cole slaw, pork & beans, variety of deserts and lemonade, all prepared by the locals. People from all over Sublette County, as well as from Jackson Hole, attend the annual BBQ. Many will not miss the gathering no matter what else gets in the way. Wyoming Red is becoming a regular at the BBQ providing entertainment for the feast.
The first Bonduarnt BBQ was held in 1941 to celebrate the completion of the church of St. Hubert the Hunter and has been held every year since at the same place as a fund raiser for the church and library, which were built in 1943. The church and library are still, and have always been, the center of community gatherings. They were both listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
Bondurant has always been a small ranching community. The town still consists of only a few buildings including the church, library, elementary school, and post pffice (3 miles away), all located on US Highway 191 just south of the Hoback Canyon. The high mountain valley gets a lot of snow in the winter making it difficult to stay year round. The high mountain peaks on all sides, and the scenic Hoback river flowing through the middle, make the place a paradise in the summer. If you missed the annual Bondurant BBQ this year, mark your calendar ahead. It is always held the last Sunday in June.
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