The 77th Redding Rodeo events kick off with a downtown dance and concert on Friday, May 8. A week of community pancake feasting, music and parade floats follow until the finale at the rodeo grounds on May 16.
The 2026 rodeo parade theme is “From Revolution to Rodeo; 250 Years of Freedom,” according to the philanthropic organization, the Asphalt Cowboys.
While Redding’s rodeo only goes back to a time when the world was recovering from World War II, its traditions predate the American Revolution, historians said.
Here's what not to miss during Redding Rodeo Week, how to get tickets and how Redding's rodeo got its start.
When did rodeos start in North America?
Rodeos have roots dating back at least to the 1500s and the introduction of horse and cattle farming by the Spanish in Central Mexico’s Toluca Valley, historians said. By the 1800s, Mexican ranch hands — vaqueros — "perfected the roping and riding skills" demonstrated in rodeo competitions, andestablished rodeo fashion,Smithsonian magazinesaid.
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Traveling entertainment troupes like Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (1883) birthed the idea of rodeos as flashy entertainment. Organizers gave the spotlight to women trick shooters like Annie Oakley, but often neglected the contributions of Indigenous and Black Americans who made up a large percentage of freelance cowboys in the South, according to historians.
They were also partially responsible for Native Americans stereotypes that still permeate American culture. According todocumentary series, American Experience: “In Cody's Wild West, the Indians were always the aggressors … attacking wagon trains, settlers' cabins, and Custer's forces. The reality was quite different...”
Major Gen. George Custer was a Union cavalry officer in the Civil War and Indian Wars known for his aggressive and merciless maneuvers.
Rodeos evolved to be more inclusive, historians said, adding to their programs Native American cultural activities and women's athletic events like barrel racing.
Some also shifted toward more performers and horsemanship demonstrations during their shows after rodeo events that featured "breaking" horses, riding bucking bulls and mutton bustingbecame targets for animal advocates like the ASPCA.
Rodeos continue to be popular throughout North America, “bolstered by groups working to make the sport, whose stars are predominantly white and male, more welcoming to women” and people outside U.S. borders, Smithsonian reported.
When was the first Redding Rodeo?
The Redding Rodeo didn’t start out the nine days of citywide pageantry it is today.
Longtime Shasta County Sheriff John Balma helped pioneer the idea of a local rodeo in the 1940s — a time when far Northern California was mostly ranch and farm land, according to theRedding Rodeo Association.
Balma —a Shasta Union High School graduate— was first Redding’s police chief in the early 1940s, when President Roosevelt ordered the creation of the sheriff’s posse. “An area that was once gravel and scrap from the building of Shasta Dam became the spot of the Sheriff’s Posse grounds," the rodeo association said.
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Balma left Redding in 1943 to serve as a nose gunner in Italy, according to the Shasta Historical Society. “He returned to make a successful bid for Sheriff in 1946, taking office in January 1947.”
Throughout the ‘40s, traveling amateur rodeos visited Northern California, and the posse allowed a tiny horse show and other acts to perform on the posse grounds. Those shows nurtured Balma’s and other residents’ plans to create their own annual rodeo, according to the rodeo association.
Posse and community members pitched in to help launch the rodeo.Afternoon temperatures stayed mercifully in the low 90swhen the first annual Redding Rodeo kicked off on Aug. 19 and 20, 1949, on the posse grounds.
The association hosts the rodeo annually on what is now the Redding Rodeo Grounds next to the Redding Civic Auditorium. More than 20,000 people came to one or more of the four Redding Rodeo shows during the rodeo's 75th anniversary in 2023, the rodeo association said.
5 no-miss events happening Redding Rodeo Week 2026
In addition to the four days of the rodeo itself, here are five no-miss events happening during Redding Rodeo Week.
Redding Rodeo Street Dance:5 p.m. to 11 p.m. May 8 at Whistle Stop Park in downtown Redding. Join line dancing with deejay Jenn Easy and music by Nashville recording artist Joe Peters. There’s also a Quick Draw Shooting Competition before the dance, a full bar and food trucks. Admission is free.
Redding Rodeo Launch Party:5 p.m. to 11 p.m. May 9 at the Redding Rodeo arena. Dine on a tri-tip sandwich meal and hear live music by artist Jake Jacobson. There’s also a mutton bustin’ competition and dancing.
Kiddie Pet Parade:6 p.m. May 11 at the Mt. Shasta Mall. Kids dress in their Southwestern best and parade with or without a furry friend in this family friendly event. Admission is free.
Asphalt Cowboys Pancake Breakfast:5 a.m. to 10 am. May 15 on Market Street in downtown Redding. Enter the event from Tehama Street. Parking in much of downtown is free that morning.
Redding Rodeo Parade:10 a.m. May 16 in downtown Redding. Admission and entry are free. For more information go toasphaltcowboys.org.
More:What to wear (and not wear) to look like a real cowboy, cowgirl at the Redding Rodeo
Where to buy rodeo tickets
The May 14-16 night shows are sold out, the rodeo association said, but tickets are still available for the Wednesday, May 13 Native American Appreciation Night.
Tickets start at $19 per seat. To buy tickets or for more information, go toreddingrodeo.com.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter@RS_JSkropanicand onFacebook. Join Jessica on Record Searchlight Facebook groupsGet Out! Nor Cal,Today in Shasta CountyandShaping Redding’s Future. To support and sustain this work,please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight:Redding Rodeo 2026 events and its surprising history
