Recap: Ogden’s Lebowski Fest 2025
Photos from Ogden’s Big Lebowski Fest, Nov. 8, 2025. Robin F. Pendergrast
Saturday, Nov. 8, a group of achievers met up at Peery’s Egyptian Theater in Ogden, Utah to celebrate their love of the cult classic “The Big Lebowski.” Hosted by New Ogden Cinema, the 11th annual Lebowski Fest went big this year with a pregame, a series of giveaways, a costume contest, the movie, and after party.
A night of camaraderie, movie quotes, and plenty of beverages was kicked off with a pregame at the Lab Arcade, where those who came in costume got a free thirty-minute game card. While there, you could see the character Maud playing pinball or Walter playing Big Buck Hunter. After a couple of drinks and some good old-fashioned bar food, you could head over to the theater where Tyler “Lebowski Clause” Hall was running trivia and giving away all kinds of prizes, dressed in the iconic sweater and Santa hat with a matching pattern.
Down the hallway, you could find the bar and the vendors who came out and supported it. Tasty as Phuck hot sauce sold its signature hot sauces with specialty Big Lebowski labels and pins. Artist Steve Stones had Big Lebowski prints and other original pieces. Lastly, local artist Untidy Venus, Izzy Fisher, was there selling her trading card notebooks, stickers, and art prints.
After checking out the vendors, you go to Lebowski Clause to answer some Movie Trivia. Questions ranged from “What's the date on the check The Dude fills out at the beginning of the movie?” (postdated for Sept 11th 1991) to, “What was the name of the Jackie Treehorn film Maud shows The Dude?” (Logjammin’). The prizes included merch from the movie.
While waiting for your turn at trivia there were plenty of other Dudes to talk to, oat sodas or White Russians, or time to find your seats and enjoy the ambiance of the Egyptian Theater.
Soon, the Show started with an introduction by Hall and Paddy Teglia, followed by Ryan and Brandie McDonald, the founders of New Ogden Cinema.
To celebrate the 11th anniversary, New Ogden Cinema gave away several prizes for the event. The first was to promote the “Memorialize A Seat” program, a fundraiser that helps the Egyptian Theater when community members donate and receive a seatback tribute. Four attendees were selected to have a plate engraved with their name and placed on a seatback inside the theater.
The costume contest was full, starting with the miscellaneous category with some marvelous entrants, including Brandt, and even a tumbleweed. Following that was Donny, who seemed like he may have been out of his element; there was only one Donny this year. Of course, no one forgets The Jesus with two contestants donning the purple suit. Then, three Mauds, both in her iconic greencoat and in the opera Viking dream sequence outfit. And it wouldn’t be complete without Walter. A number of Walters took the stage, some with the ringer and some without. Lastly, the main character, The Dude, Duder, his Dudeness, El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing. And let me tell you, these contestants were not, spanning from the wings on one side of the stage to the other.
The movie kicked off with cheers and an audience ready to quote every line along the way. It’s hard to think of a better place to watch “The Big Lebowski” than under an artificial night sky inside an Egyptian temple with a classic Hollywood feel. When the movie finished, people slowly filtered out but the night was nowhere near over.
Up the road from the theater, the night picked up at the Funk ‘n Dive in Ogden. With great tunes played by Union Blues, fantastic food and wonderful company with old friends and new talking about The Dude, movies, and the goings-on in our lives. Overall, I think we can close the case on this Lebowski Fest with all its “ins and outs” and “what have you.” Next year, we mark it twelve.
