Longmire is a western crime drama–that has attracted fans far and wide…either to the original best-selling novels by author Craig Johnson…or to the popular Netflix adaptation that ran for six seasons.
While Longmire is set in a fictional Wyoming town, its popularity has made the very real town of Buffalo, Wyoming a destination for fans who come from all over the world to get a taste of western life.
YPR’s Orlinda Worthington, a native of Buffalo, takes us to her hometown for the annual Longmire Days.
An Irish pipe band kicked off the Longmire Days parade in Buffalo, Wyoming followed by actors from the Netflix series standing in the back of pickup trucks, waving and tossing candy to the crowd. Australian actor Robert Taylor plays the title character Sheriff Walt Longmire.
“I love this place. I come back for Longmire days every year 'cause I just like being here. I love the people that come. All of these people I see every year, they are just great people and I just like being with them and like being here in the West,” Taylor said.
Longmire Days actually began as Longmire Day back in 2012 when author Craig Johnson set up a table on Main Street to sign copies of his mystery books. Johnson lives nearby and was asked by the Wyoming Office of Tourism if he could get any of the actors to show up the next year.
“And I said, well, I don't know, which ones do you want? And they said, all of them. And I was like, okay, well, we'll give that a shot. Well, we did. And, you know, the majority of them actually did come the very next year.
The very first year we did it I remember going and picking up Robert Taylor. I pick him up and we're bringing him in town. And he says, well, how many people do you think we're going to have? I said, I don't know, Robert, we're thinking maybe two or 3000 people or something like this. Robert and I both raise up a little bit in the seat of the truck to look down over the hill, and the main street is just a wall of people, just a sea of people. And he looks over at me and he goes, I'm not a math major, but that looks like more than two to 3,000 people,” Johnson said.
The residents of the small town of 44-hundred, nestled at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains, were just as surprised.
“All the ATM machines and all the banks ran out of money, all the grocery stores and all the restaurants ran out of food. You know, 15, 000 extra cell phones on the one little tower in Buffalo, right? And everybody's walking around looking at the little blue circle of death and I was runnin’ up to ‘em and goin’ now you know why Walt Longmire doesn’t carry a cell phone don’t ya,” Johnson said.
Recognizing the popularity of the event, the town expanded Longmire Days into an almost week-long celebration in July. That’s when Buffalo transforms into the fictional hometown of Sheriff Walt Longmire. Banners and signs in the store windows say “Welcome to Durant,” which leads to some confusion for unsuspecting tourists, and natives like me who did not know about Longmire Days when I drove into town a few years ago.
While Durant is the fictional town, places in the series are familiar to Johnson County residents. Longmire’s office is in the old Carnegie Library building. The Hotel is based on the Historic Occidental Hotel & Saloon. The Busy Bee Cafe is in fact… the Busy Bee Cafe, a popular food stop on Main Street.
While the stories are set in Wyoming, the series was filmed in New Mexico. One reason why Johnson chose Buffalo for the annual occasion.
“And so it just seemed like it was a kind of a nice thing to do, you know, for the community and certainly economically to come and have everybody here to give them a chance. And the actors love it because they pretend like they were in Wyoming for what, six years, and then finally got the chance to come to actually see real Wyoming,” Johnson said.
The Longmire Foundation was formed in 2020 to help fund the annual event and raise money for charitable organizations in Buffalo and nationwide, $67,000 this year. Foundation Director Jennifer McCormick says they’ve added numerous activities over the years.
“We do a horseback ride on Sunday mornings. We do question and answer sessions. Lou Ann Stevens has her own sweet tea with ruby and brunch events here at the ranch, and charity softball game. We do an auction that our local merchants and different fans donate things to help raise money,” McCormick said.
While some residents in this usually quiet central Wyoming town are not crazy about the extra people and traffic, most business owners are in support. Margo Brown is a potter with a shop on Main Street near the bridge over Clear Creek.
“It’s a wonderful boon. Usually it’s my best weekend of the year,” Brown said.
Local artist Paul Prosinski has had success creating a different Longmire poster most every year.
“They were always pretty popular and take preorders and usually sell out of them pretty quickly,so.” Prosinski said.
The series ended six years ago, and Prosinski says the crowds seem to be dwindling a bit. But organizers say they’ll keep going as long as the fans keep coming. And they keep coming from all over the world.
“A group this year from Germany. We have had a book club from Australia attend. We have had groups from South Africa attend all over Europe. The French really love Longmire, so they'll come out for it,” McCormick said.
Gayle and his wife have come from Colorado multiple times.
OW: So what do you like about it? Gail: Just a fun atmosphere and get to see people I saw on TV for so long and now we’ve got a bunch of friends when we come back they’re all here. We’ve got some friends from France, Canada, yeah,” Gail said.
It’s the first time for Janet, from Utah.
“So far it’s super fun. And it was not just the Longmire stuff. It was like meeting these lovely ladies and just having a good time, and I can't wait for the rest of it,” Janet said.
Her lovely new friends - from Hawaii and Oregon - have been here before and say they’ve been touched by how approachable all the actors are, the hospitality of Buffalo, and the camaraderie.
“And you can just say hi to somebody you don’t even know. And then you’re talking and you know ‘em forever. Like Ruby said this morning, she comes back here because we're family,” Stehpanie Schulz said.
In Buffalo, Wyoming, I’m OW.
The Longmire Foundation says the event usually brings in around $500,000 each summer to the town of Buffalo.
Fans will be happy to know that Johnson is in negotiations for three Longmire movies.
