IDAHO FALLS -- Idaho’s Oldest Rodeo, The War Bonnet Round Up, is gearing up to kick off their 112th year of rodeo festivities Wednesday Night.
On the day before the PRCA rodeo begins, Wednesday, Aug. 2, the War Bonnet Round Up will be hosting the annual Rodeo Kickoff at Sandy Downs from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event will include games and FREE amateur and youth rodeo action in celebration of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeo the following nights.
“We have been looking forward to having our best rodeo kick-off event ever,” said Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation Director PJ Holm. “We love our rodeo fans and having this event is just a great way to kick off the fun. We are introducing a couple of new events for this kick-off and look forward to even more entertainment and action.”
All of the events at the kickoff celebration are free and will include events just for the kids.
Guests will also be treated to food vendors, pony rides, mini bucking bulls, bounce houses, lamb scramble and a cash cow, bison bucks and War Bonnet merchandise vendors. War Bonnet tickets will be available for sale as well as raffle tickets for War Bonnet prizes.
“This is going to be a real celebration of the return of the War Bonnet Round Up. There will be War Bonnet royalty food, fun, and an all-around great time. We hope all of East Idaho will turn out to help celebrate with us,” Holm said.
The War Bonnet Round Up, Idaho’s Oldest Rodeo, professional rodeo, will begin on Thursday, Aug. 3 and run through Saturday, Aug. 5. Gates will open each night at 4:30 p.m.
Thursday night will be Family Night, along with the rodeo’s first Purple Night. The rodeo has teamed up with Man Up Crusade, a non-profit dedicated to creating public awareness on the issue of domestic violence. On Purple Night, all rodeo participants, fans and support personnel are encouraged to wear purple to show their support for this great cause.
Friday will be the annual “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” night, to promote breast cancer awareness in our community. Attendees are encouraged to wear pink Friday. Saturday will be Salute to our Veterans Night with special presentations honoring our nation’s veterans and active-duty military; attendees are encouraged to wear black.
Tickets for Thursday and Friday are $22 and Saturday is $27. Military and veteran discounts are available. Children's tickets for ages 3 – 10 are $10. Children 2 and under are free. Tickets are available online and at local War Bonnet Round Up ticket outlets, including Teton Toyota, Vickers, Cal Ranch and the Idaho Falls Recreation Center. Visit https://warbonnetroundup.org for additional ticket information.
# # #
Media Note: For more information or to schedule an interview with city or rodeo staff, contact Public Information Officer, Eric Grossarth at (208) 612-8562 or [email protected]. Media credentials for the rodeo can be obtained by media representatives on assignment from an accredited news agency. Credentials can be obtained from the PIO. Media rules for Idaho’s Oldest Rodeo, The War Bonnet Roundup, are governed by the PRCA Association and can be found online at http://www.prorodeo.com/prorodeo/media/media-guidelines-for-rodeo-coverage.