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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Rodeo Season Gets Kicking At Grand Coulee

It’s May, and we’re starting to see those glitzy ads for the Calgary Stampede on TV. You know, the ones with horses pulling wagons racing wildly by on a dirt track, people in billowing Western dress dancing with the Calgary Tower and downtown Calgary as a backdrop, and buckin’ broncs.

It’s huge, it brings hundreds of thousands of people to this Alberta prairie city, and this year it opens on July 4. But give me the Cheney Rodeo.

While a 10-day party that encompasses an entire city has its appeal, somehow a more Garrison Keillor, small-town, noshing a hot dog while sitting on a wooden bleacher on a July evening experience calls like a siren.

And it will again this year, for the Cheney Rodeo runs simultaneously with the Calgary Stampede. Tickets will be sold in advance at the Cheney Chamber of Commerce, but you’ll need to get to the rodeo early because bleacher seating is first-come. And there will be hot dogs and barbecued hamburgers, plenty of dust, some serious bucking action in the ring and all the people-watching opportunities you can want.

The Inland Northwest is rich in rodeo possibilities. Most of them are small-town, and most are associated with some type of town festival.

The rodeo season unofficially kicks off this weekend in Grand Coulee with the 40th annual Colorama Festival and PWRA Rodeo. The action opens tonight. Saturday, in addition to the rodeo, a grand parade will shut down traffic in this Central Washington town at 11 a.m.

The rodeo begins at 2 p.m. Saturday and at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Those who plan to stay the weekend can take in laser light show on the face of Grand Coulee Dam Saturday at 9:30 p.m. Tickets to the rodeo are $5, $2 for students; call 1-800-COULEE2 for more information.

For those who’ve watched those TV ads for the Calgary Stampede and have decided that’s the ticket for their rodeo experience, the rodeo will be at 1:30 and 8 p.m. each day; tickets range from $17 to $43. For information call (403) 269-9822.

Rodeo action in the region runs well into September and unofficially winds down after the Pendleton Round-Up. This year the 87th edition of this historic event is Sept. 10-13. Tickets range from $8 to $17.50, and since the event draws about 50,000 spectators, it often sells out, so call ahead to (800) 457-6336.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: RODEO CALENDAR For those who want to make a summer of it, here’s a schedule of rodeos in the region:

Today-Sunday - Colorama Festival/ PWRA Rodeo, Grand Coulee Dam, (509) 633-3074 May 23-25 - Last Stand Rodeo, Coulee City, (509) 632-5043 May 31-June 1 - Founders Day Rodeo, Tonasket, (509) 486-4297 June 7-9 - Treaty Day All Indian Rodeo, Toppenish, (Yakima Indian Reservation), (509) 865-5121, ext. 436 June 6-8 - Rosalia Battle Days & Rodeo, (509) 523-3311 June 13-15 - Colville PRCA Rodeo, (509) 684-5973 June 14-15 Ketchum Kalf Rodeo, Glenwood, Wash., (509) 493-3630 June 27-29 Newport PWRA Rodeo, (509) 447-5812 July 3-6 Toppenish Pow Wow Rodeo & Parade, Toppenish, (509) 865-3262 July 4-13 Calgary Stampede, (403) 261-0101 July 11-13 Cheney Rodeo, (509) 235-8480 July 19-20 Frontier Days Rodeo & Celebration, Springdale, (509) 684-5973 July 25-26 Lake Chelan Rodeo, Chelan (800) 424-3526 July 25-27 Deer Park Rodeo, 276-2444 Aug. 3 Deer Park PeeWee Rodeo, 276-2444 Aug. 7-10 Omak Stampede & World Famous Suicide Race, (800) 933-6625 Aug. 13-16 Moses Lake Roundup Rodeo, (509) 765-6393 Aug. 14-17 Pend Oreille County Fair and Rodeo, Cusick, (509) 447-5812 Aug. 21-24 North Central Washington District Fair and Rodeo, Waterville, (509) 745-8480 Aug. 22-24 North Idaho Fair and Rodeo, Coeur d’Alene, (208) 765-4969 Aug. 23-24 Klickitat County Fair and Rodeo, Goldendale, (509) 364-3438 Aug. 29-Sept. 1 Ellensburg Rodeo, (80) 637-2444 Sept. 5-14 Spokane Interstate Fair and Rodeo, (800) 248-3230 Sept. 12-13 Othello Rodeo, (800) 684-2556 Sept. 12-14 Columbia County Fair and Rodeo, Dayton, (800) 882-6299 Sept. 19-28 Central Washington State Fair, Yakima (800) 221-0751

This sidebar appeared with the story: RODEO CALENDAR For those who want to make a summer of it, here’s a schedule of rodeos in the region:

Today-Sunday - Colorama Festival/ PWRA Rodeo, Grand Coulee Dam, (509) 633-3074 May 23-25 - Last Stand Rodeo, Coulee City, (509) 632-5043 May 31-June 1 - Founders Day Rodeo, Tonasket, (509) 486-4297 June 7-9 - Treaty Day All Indian Rodeo, Toppenish, (Yakima Indian Reservation), (509) 865-5121, ext. 436 June 6-8 - Rosalia Battle Days & Rodeo, (509) 523-3311 June 13-15 - Colville PRCA Rodeo, (509) 684-5973 June 14-15 Ketchum Kalf Rodeo, Glenwood, Wash., (509) 493-3630 June 27-29 Newport PWRA Rodeo, (509) 447-5812 July 3-6 Toppenish Pow Wow Rodeo & Parade, Toppenish, (509) 865-3262 July 4-13 Calgary Stampede, (403) 261-0101 July 11-13 Cheney Rodeo, (509) 235-8480 July 19-20 Frontier Days Rodeo & Celebration, Springdale, (509) 684-5973 July 25-26 Lake Chelan Rodeo, Chelan (800) 424-3526 July 25-27 Deer Park Rodeo, 276-2444 Aug. 3 Deer Park PeeWee Rodeo, 276-2444 Aug. 7-10 Omak Stampede & World Famous Suicide Race, (800) 933-6625 Aug. 13-16 Moses Lake Roundup Rodeo, (509) 765-6393 Aug. 14-17 Pend Oreille County Fair and Rodeo, Cusick, (509) 447-5812 Aug. 21-24 North Central Washington District Fair and Rodeo, Waterville, (509) 745-8480 Aug. 22-24 North Idaho Fair and Rodeo, Coeur d’Alene, (208) 765-4969 Aug. 23-24 Klickitat County Fair and Rodeo, Goldendale, (509) 364-3438 Aug. 29-Sept. 1 Ellensburg Rodeo, (80) 637-2444 Sept. 5-14 Spokane Interstate Fair and Rodeo, (800) 248-3230 Sept. 12-13 Othello Rodeo, (800) 684-2556 Sept. 12-14 Columbia County Fair and Rodeo, Dayton, (800) 882-6299 Sept. 19-28 Central Washington State Fair, Yakima (800) 221-0751