April has come to a close, and the days are counting down to the return of the annual Keremeos Rodeo.
The annual event is back with its full roster of events for the May long weekend.
“We’re pretty much ready, but it’s always the little, last minute things,” said Dave Barker, president of the Keremeos Rodeo Association.
The 2023 rodeo was the first back since the COVID-19 pandemic, and while plenty of people made their way down to it over the weekend, the weather did throw a small wrench into things.
“I’ve never seen it rain that hard in such a short time,” said Barker. “Then on Monday, which is normally a big day for us, the Penticton area was raining so those people didn’t come down, but it was nice here.”
Whether the weather cooperates or pulls a repeat performance, the association is gearing up to have more people come out for the weekend’s events. The organizers are bringing in additional temporary bleachers for seating for the weekend.
Permanent additional seating is a goal for the association, but it’s long-term due to the expense required, particularly as the event itself gets more costly to run each year.
“The only reason we can keep this rodeo going is because of all the sponsorships, it’s getting so costly to put on,” said Barker. “Insurance just keeps getting worse and worse, and then you have to put up enough prize money to make it attractive for the cowboys.”
An army of sponsors and supporters has been key in bringing the event back and keeping it running, and this year donations from local businesses will be put up in a silent auction to raise further funds.
The association is working to set up a 50/50 deal for 2025 to raise funds towards permanent bleachers.
READ MORE: PHOTOS: Rain can’t keep Keremeos Rodeo down
The full array of events will be back over the weekend, including the return of ranch bronco riding, which debuted in 2023.
“Yeah, that was a hit that worked out well for us here,” said Barker. “It’s entertaining, because they have just a regular stock saddle and there aren’t many rules; they can hang on with two hands, they can wear wooly jeans or chaps, they could have a lariat passed through the saddle.”
The rodeo itself runs on May 18, 19 and 20, starting at 1 p.m.
The barbecue rib dinner returns on May 19, with admission a separate $22. After the dinner, the association will be putting on their dance with the same DJ as last year.
“I happened to be at the door for the whole night and I thought, ‘my gosh, we got a lot of people in there.’ So I went and the dance floor was wall to wall people, hardly anybody sitting,” said Barker.
The chicken catch, for kids four to nine, is back on Sunday May 19, as well as the calf scramble for kids aged five to 11 on Monday.
The Second Shot Drill Production Team out of Maple Ridge will be returning to perform at the rodeo, and the parade is also back and once again returning to Main Street on Monday, May 20.
The parade will kick off at 10:30 a.m. People interested in registering to participate can still do so by contacting Chrysty Quaedvlieg via email through keremeosrodeoparade@gmail.com.