Salinas Rodeo set to be an action-packed weekend
SALINAS >> The 114th California Rodeo Salinas officially kicks off Thursday and the 17,000 seats at the Salinas Sports Complex are on-track to sell out on Friday. Current ticket sales indicate Saturday and Sunday could also sell out.
The schedule for this year’s rodeo is packed with bull riding, barrel racing, button mucking and more. Many events are set to sell-out, according to Rodeo Marketing Manager Mandy Linquist. The largest rodeo in California, this event has been a Salinas staple for decades.
“We are definitely steeped in tradition,” said Linquist. “We love having families come out generation after generation.” The high-attendance rate can be attributed to the “all-day entertainment” offered, said Linquist, as the Salinas Sports Complex gates are open from 3-11 p.m. until Sunday.
The festivities leading up to the rodeo have already begun, as the carnival opened last Friday and will be open until Sunday evening. The annual Kiddie Kapers parade was held Sunday and saw more than 1,200 children march through Salinas’ Main Street on floats, wagons, bikes and more. The parade was led by Grand Marshal Kelly Mata Navarro, a 12-year-old cancer survivor.
This past weekend, Saturday ticket sales were 1,000 seats up from last year’s rodeo. The Sunday show last year was also close to selling out, as is this year.
Linquist encourages community members to “hurry up and get their tickets” as many of this year’s spectacles will likely sell-out for the second year in a row. Wednesday’s Big Week events have all sold out, including a cowgirl luncheon and Extreme bull riding, which will unofficially kickoff the rodeo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
Attendees can anticipate fan-favorite events such as break-away roping, an event highlighting cowgirls and their roping skills. The event is “fast and fun to watch and everyone seems to like to watch that,” said Linquist.
The California Rodeo Stick Horse Race will take place Thursday at 4:30 p.m., with 3 to 8-year-old children riding their stick horses and competing for the first-place belt buckle. On Friday at 3:30 p.m., kids aged 6-13 will compete in a Dummy Roping contest.
Aside from the physical entertainment, this year’s rodeo will feature clowns, actors, music and more. Starting on Thursday and performing throughout the weekend, Austin Singley will perform as the Green Hat Clown. Singley is known for his Comedy Hypnosis Show.
For the first time, the cultural celebration Fiestas del Rodeo (Parties of the Rodeo) will take place on Sunday from 11-3 p.m. Folkloric dancers will perform, followed by Mariachi music. There will also be Escaramuza riders available for autographs before their rodeo performance later on Sunday.
For the second-year in a row, specialty act John Payne, the One Arm Bandit, will perform throughout the weekend with his longhorn cattle act.
As the rodeo has been a generational tradition amongst Salinas residents, the California Rodeo Heritage Museum will provide opportunities for community members to learn more about the history of the iconic event. Open daily throughout the weekend, the museum will detail the past of the rodeo through memorabilia including saddles, vintage Miss California Rodeo outfits, cowboy attire and more.
As a not-for-profit organization, the rodeo has been fundraising and donating proceeds to local organizations and community members for years. Last year, around $771,000 was donated to various community organizations. Approximately $47,000 went toward funding scholarships for local students, according to Linquist.
“We believe in trying to keep as much funding as possible in our community to generate that economic impact and make a lasting impact on students,” she said. “We hope (they) come back and volunteer or be active in their community.”
Tickets will be the same price in-person and online and can be bought at https://www.carodeo.com/p/tickets.
