ESTES PARK, Colo. — While most celebrations will be winding down after July 4, the Town of Estes Park is just getting started as it kicks off its signature event of the year, The Rooftop Rodeo, this Saturday.
The event will feature a parade, mutton busting, breakaway roping, barrel racing, live music and "behind the chutes" tours. There is food, vendors and entertainment for the whole family.
“This year, we have about 860 contestants entered in our rodeo, which is a record,” said Cindy Schonholtz with Visit Estes.
The event has been happening annually since 1908 when the local paper, The Mountaineer, boasted, “The very best local riders have registered for the contest, and some bad 'outlaw' horses are being rounded up.”
The Rooftop Rodeo later got its name in 1941 due to Estes Park’s 7,500-foot altitude — the highest altitude for any rodeo competition in the United States.
The rodeo comes at the end of the busiest time of year in professional rodeo. Contestants come to Estes Park to enjoy “Cowboy Christmas.”
“There's about 60 rodeos in two weeks, and they get to come up here and take a deep breath and look at the lake, cool off because they're in a lot of places that are very hot,” Schonholtz said. “We feed them, we try and treat them, right, and then they get to get in the rodeo arena and try and win some money and make that National Finals Rodeo in December.”
The Rooftop Rodeo is July 5-10. Tickets start at $14.
