By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
The Del Rio Rotary Club will host the 18th annual Independence Day Rodeo on Saturday, July 1, and Sunday, July 2, at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds.
Admission for the rodeo will be $5 and people can buy tickets at the gates or at Cowboy John’s Western Wear, the Del Rio Feed & Supply and C&S Western Wear. Guests are welcome to come early and register for activities and get food.
Mike Coplan, Rotary Club president, said the rodeo has been getting bigger and bigger since they started 18 years ago. He said the Independence Day Rodeo is a great way to spend time with families and celebrate the Fourth of July.
Money from the Independence Day Rodeo will go to funding scholarships and other projects supported by the Rotary Club. This past year, the Rotary Club gave away 21 scholarships that last year’s rodeo helped fund. The next project they are working on is the Rotary Pocket Park on Main Street. Coplan said they adopted the park from the city so they can build park improvements including restrooms and other necessities.
Other spectator events the Rodeo will have include activities for both kids and adults. Kids can be part of mutton busting races (riding on sheep) and stick-horse racing, and adults can take part in scoop racing, which involves having your own horse for the activity and being drug behind it on a rubber mat. Signing up for these activities will be onsite before the rodeo starts.
The rodeo will have concessions for food including burgers made by the Rotary Club members. Other than members of the Rotary Club, people from Laughlin Air Force Base, Border Patrol and Del Rio High School will help Rotary Club members. Coplan said their members and sponsors work hard to put this rodeo together.
“Independence Day Rodeo is a family friendly event; we work hard to make it something for families to enjoy,” Coplan said.
The gates open at 6:30 p.m. and the pre-rodeo activities start at 7 p.m. and activities will last till 8 p.m. for both Saturday and Sunday.
