The Days of ’47 Rodeo 2017

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Exciting events are planned in the heart of Salt Lake City by the Days of ’47 Rodeo and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association to celebrate from July 19 through July 24. The Rodeo, one of the top PRCA rodeos in the nation, will be held July 19-22 and 24 in the brand new, state-of-the-art, $16 million, outdoor Days of ’47 Arena that has 10,000 stadium style seats.
History of Days of ’47
Mormon Brigham Young and his thousands of pioneers who believed in freedom of religion arrived in the Salt Lake Valley area on July 24, 1847. The Latter-day Saints settled here after they were forced out from various locations in the eastern part of the United States. Remembering the pioneer heritage of those remarkable 1847 pioneers and all who followed makes their hardships and accomplishments live today with a variety of activities and celebrations.
2017 Salt Lake City Rodeo
Begins at 7:00 PM each evening July 19 through 24 except for Sunday, July 23
Utah State Fair Park
Contestants will have competed in a series of Trial Events featuring bull riding, steer wrestling, team and tie-down roping, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, and barrel racing and will earn the right to compete in the Cowboy Games. There will be a wild card round on July 22 for each event’s 40-contestant field. The top 10 contestants in the Women’s and the PRCA Professional Rodeo Association world standings will then qualify for the July 19 semifinals.
The July 24 Gold Medal Round of the Salt Lake City Rodeo will be televised on the CBS Sports Network. It will pay an outstanding $744,000, and the winners in each discipline will receive $50,000 in cash and a Cowboy Games Gold Medal. Top competitors from around the nation will compete for their part of the $1 million purse and the opportunity to win a gold, silver or bronze medal.
Youth Parade
Saturday – July 22 at 10:00 a.m.
This is one of the oldest and largest youth parades in the United States with creatively-decorated floats, marching bands, and performing groups. Judges will select the float which does the best portrayal of the theme, “Pioneers – Visions of a New Horizon,” and they will be invited to participate in the larger main parade on Monday, July 24.
Family Festival
Saturday – July 22 after the Youth Parade – to 2:00 PM
Washington Square
There will be free admission and free activities, games, sporting events, prizes, music, and pioneer-type attractions. Children will love face painting, crafts, the obstacle courses, bouncers, inflatable slides, and pioneer-era learning opportunities.
Ribs and Rodeo
From 1:00 to 7:00 PM daily, the Arena will be filled with the smoky flavors of top BBQ restaurants serving the best finger-licking ribs and sides that Utah has to offer.
Family Night
Thursday, July 20, will have activities including discounts on rodeo tickets for children ages 12 and under and free admission to the Family Fun Zone.
Interactive Area
Along with an amazing display by sponsor Komatsu Equipment, there will be free exhibits, mechanical bulls, and fun in front of the Stadium.
2017 Pioneer Day Parade
Monday – July 24 – 9:00 AM
From South Temple and State Street to Liberty Park
First held on July 24, 1849, this is one of the oldest in the United States with colorful floats, clowns, horses, high school marching bands, clowns, and other entries to thrill thousands of spectators. Native Americans march in the pre-parade ahead of the pioneer floats, and the military is always well represented. The parade is televised throughout the inter-mountain area on NBC affiliate KSL-TV.
Tickets
Reserved seats for the whole five-day package run between $95.00 and $145.00. Although most of the activities are free to the public, there are some that require individual tickets, and there are also tickets for just one or two rodeo nights.
Media Team
The media team for Days of ’47 and the Salt Lake City Rodeo will include the Ak-Chin Indian Community, Papa John’s Road Team, Earnhardt Auto Centers and the Cowboy Lifestyle Network, the latter being the community and leading online source for everything Country and Western.

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Peter Varlet

Peter Varlet’s the cowboy critic you love to hate, until he’s right. Born during a thunderstorm in 1972 in Bismarck, North Dakota, he grew up watching his WWII vet dad battle to save their farm from corporate claws. Now, Peter’s the unapologetic voice of Western culture, with a historian’s grip on America’s past, acknowledging both its heroes and hypocrites. His truth to power articles are a no-holds-barred zone for rodeo reviews, cowboy movie takedowns, and ranching tricks that work. He’ll tell you why your country singer’s a fraud and how to fix a fence with only baling wire and spite. Peter despises corporate factory farms taking over and cherishes the DIY grit of real Americans. Politically correct? Nope. Trustworthy? Damn straight. He’s saving the West, one brutal truth at a time.