GREELEY, Colo. — Brace yourself for funnel cakes, live music and all the rodeo action you can handle. The 102nd annual Greeley Stampede kicks off Wednesday.
The century-old celebration honors western and native lifestyles.
“We are in full setup mode right now,” said Julie Jensen, general chairman of the Greeley Stampede.
It’s a tradition that dates all the way back to 1922.
“The western lifestyle really is a big part of what our community is about,” Jensen said. “It's togetherness, it's community. So, we do this celebration every year and celebrate that lifestyle. When people walk through the doors tomorrow, everything's set up. Everything's open. The food vendors are open, the carnival guys are ready to take you on a ride, and the arena will open up.”
The slack rodeo happening on Tuesday is a little pre-competition of sorts.
“Every rodeo performance we have, you know, a certain number of events, and we have room for just a certain amount for contestants,” Jensen said. “So, when we have more entries than we have enough room and time for the actual rodeo, those folks are able to come out, do slack and try to qualify for the finals.”
“I grew up here,” said steer wrestler Gage Hesse. “I grew up showing cattle here and competing in the local roping events and stuff. So, I’ve kind of been around here my whole life.”
Hesse is a Colorado native and describes this time of year as “Cowboy Christmas.”
“It’s the best time of year for us,” Hesse said. “You know, we can go to a rodeo every day for the next two weeks.”
The Greeley Stampede kicks off June 26 - July 7, ushering in all the annual excitement and energy it has in years past.
“We want to have some fun with each other,” Jensen said. “Come support the community and celebrate that heritage.”
This year’s concert line-up includes Old Dominion, T.I., Cheap Trick and Chris Young. Click here for tickets and more information.
