Bend, OR

Located 20 miles west of Bend, the town of Sisters, Oregon, is Bend’s distinctively western neighbor. Every building on the little downtown stretch has an old-town western façade, and when driving through town I almost expect a band of cowboys and Indians to come charging out of the saloon and have a confrontation at the intersection of Main and Spruce. This past weekend, part of my vision came true (sans Indian altercation) as cowboys and cowgirls took the town by storm at the 68th Annual Sisters Rodeo. My friends and I went on Friday night, the opening night of the three-day event, and enjoyed some good old fashioned steer roping, barrel racing and fried food consumption.

We arrived around 6:00, an hour before the rodeo began, and parked in the field next to the arena, guided by mounted police officers. I was pleasantly surprised that parking was free and readily available. My friends and I bought our tickets ($10 for general admission) and settled into the red section of the arena. This particular night was Family Night, so children under 12 are free. While family night implies less drunken cowboys to deal with, it also means swapping drunken cowboys for sober wriggling children. I spent part of the night worrying that the small child in front of me might fling pieces of ketchup-drenched hotdog my way. On the flipside, there’s nothing cuter than two-year-olds dressed in little cowboy hats and miniature red cowboy boots. Plus, many of the child-toting families left halfway through the rodeo to send their little buckaroos to bed.

Throughout the night we cheered for cowboys as they roped and wrestled steer, rode bucking broncos and wild bulls, and broke in wild horses. I also spent much of the evening gasping and cringing and wondering how watching men in tight jeans voluntarily risk their lives became part of American culture. Luckily no one was seriously injured, but there were some near tramplings that made my heart lurch out of my chest.

We began and ended the night with the rodeo queens, who wowed us with their barrel racing and sparkly western-wear. And for the mid-evening specialty act, a cowboy known as the One Arm Bandit corralled two huge bulls on the top of a trailer.

The festivities ended around 10:15, but we didn’t emerge from the crowded parking lot for another 25 minutes. I would have considered waiting in the arena for the crowds to die down, but I was pretty anxious to get to a warm place, as I’d neglected to bring a jacket with me.

When: This year’s events took place on June 13-15 and began at 7:00 each night, with 1:00 performances on Saturday and Sunday. The weekend festivities also include a parade on Saturday and a breakfast on Sunday. Check the Sisters Rodeo Website for more information.

Where: From Bend, take Highway 97 to Highway 20 West. When you get into Sisters, the rodeo arena and parking will be on your left. The large signs and long line of cars are hard to miss.

Amenities: Rows of Port-a-potties are available for your restroom needs. Various stands around the arena offer a variety of not-so-healthy but delicious food. My friends and I had elephant ears ($4 each), ice cream ($3 for one scoop), a medium soda ($2.50), and freshly made curly fries ($4). I also saw giant burritos, nachos and hotdogs for sale.

Cost: $10 general admission, kids 12 and under free on Family Night. On Saturday and Sunday ticket prices were $10, $12, and $15.

What to bring: A jacket or blanket (once the sun goes down all heat disappears), money for tickets and treats.