By Photo: Carol M. Highsmith / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Rodeo season in Northern Colorado and southeast Wyoming runs from the depths of winter to the end of summer, and it peaks in a few weeks around the Fourth of July when the region’s biggest shows overlap. Here is the general shape of the year. Exact dates change annually, so confirm with each event before you buy tickets or book a room.
January: the National Western in Denver
The National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver opens the year. Its two and a half weeks of livestock judging, sales and rodeo performances draw ranch families from across the region.
Late June to early July: the Greeley Stampede
The Greeley Stampede at Island Grove Regional Park builds toward the Fourth of July with professional rodeo, concerts and a carnival. It is one of the largest Fourth of July celebrations in Colorado.
July: Laramie and Estes Park
Laramie Jubilee Days marks Wyoming’s statehood, which came on July 10, 1890, with a rodeo, parade and street events. In Estes Park, the Rooftop Rodeo brings professional rodeo to the Stanley Park fairgrounds, at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Late July: Cheyenne Frontier Days
Cheyenne Frontier Days, first held in 1897 and billed as “the Daddy of ’em All,” fills Cheyenne for ten days in late July with one of the largest outdoor rodeos in the world, plus parades, night shows, an Indian village and free pancake breakfasts. For what the event means to the city’s economy, see our report on what Frontier Days is worth to Cheyenne.
August: the county fairs
County fairs carry the season through August, with 4-H livestock shows and junior rodeo events alongside professional and open rodeos. Watch for the Weld County Fair in Greeley, the Larimer County Fair and Rodeo in Loveland, the Laramie County Fair in Cheyenne, the Albany County Fair in Laramie, the Jackson County Fair in Walden and the Routt County Fair in Hayden.
All summer: weekly shows and college rodeo
Steamboat Springs runs a summer pro rodeo series on weekend nights. College rodeo teams at the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University compete through the school year, and high school and junior rodeo associations hold events most summer weekends.
How to check dates
For sanctioned professional events, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) publishes a schedule and results. Local events post dates on their own sites and through county fair offices. The region’s tourism offices, including Visit Cheyenne, Visit Greeley and Visit Fort Collins, publish summer event calendars each spring.
Sources
- Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, event schedules.
- Cheyenne Frontier Days, Greeley Stampede and National Western Stock Show event information.
- County fair offices in Weld, Larimer, Laramie, Albany, Jackson and Routt counties.
