It's not the 4th of July (or, really, the 3rd of July) without the Cody Stampede Parade, and this year a very special guest served as the Grand Marshall: Cole Hauser, star of the show everybody and their parents love, 'Yellowstone.'

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Hauser, along with his family, led the charge of the parade, which also included Casper's own marching band!

There were a plethora of other floats as well, including ones from Cody Trolley Tours, the Cody Steakhouse, the Girl Scouts of America, the Cody Lions Club, and more.

Local politicians made their presence felt in the parade as well, as people like Nina Weber, John Winter, and more ingratiated themselves with Cody residents during the parade as part of their campaign trail.

Yellowstone National Park had a major presence throughout the parade, as the park was celebrating 150 years of amazing scenery, incredible wildlife, and stupid tourists who get too close to the aforementioned wildlife.

Cast  members from 'The Wild Bunch' were on hand, performing in-character as Buffalo Bill, Wyatt Earp, the Sundance Kid, and more. 'The Wild Bunch' is a local re-enactment of some of Wyoming's biggest legends, and tickets for the nightly performances can be found here

Governor Mark Gordon and his wife Jennie were also on-hand, .being guided by the Powder River Percherons, a "dapple grey Percheron draft horse hitch."

Several John Deere tractors showed up and showed off, as did multiple classic cars, driven by the men and women who love them.

Santa and Mrs. Claus even came out to celebrate Christmas in July at the Cody Stampede Parade.

But it was Cole Hauser who was the real star of the show, both figuratively and literally.

 

Hauser plays the character of Rip Wheeler on Yellowstone and, over the course of 4 seasons, he has endeared himself to audiences worldwide.

"Rip is a tough, no-nonsense character who was orphaned and taken in by John Dutton (Kevin Costner) after killing his own abusive father, but in real life, Hauser is the scion of a multi-generational entertainment business dynasty that includes one of the most powerful families in show business history," Taste of Country wrote. 

The Cody Stampede Parade typically brings out the crowd, as it's one of Cody's most lauded city events. But this year, especially, the people came out in droves to see the Hollywood actor who gets his boots dirty in Wyoming (or, Montana...but still!)

This year, as in every year, the Cody Stampede Parade showed off the best of Wyoming.

"Standing in the middle of Sheridan Ave as Old Glory marched towards me gave me the chills," said Laura Loughran Redmond, of Heart of Wyoming Photography. "Enjoying the parade with my family and teaching my children about the sacrifices of the men and woman that came before us in order for us to be free is an important part of this holiday for me."

It's an important part of the holiday for everybody, and this year, as in every year, the Cody Stampede Parade showed off the absolute best of Wyoming.

Photos of the Yellowstone star's presence at the parade can be seen below, as can the entirety of the parade, via the Cody Stampede Parade Committee.

Yellowstone's Cole Hauser Headlines Cody Stampede Parade

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