Well, we here at the Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame can’t believe that within a few days, the excitement of all the festivities will be upon us before and during Labor Day weekend!
Let’s jump right into highlighting our events:
Join us on Friday, August 23rd from 5-7 p.m. at the Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame museum (416 N Pearl St.) for something new we’re doing this year. To welcome our three inductees into the Hall of Fame and get to know them in an informal setting, we’ve scheduled a Meet & Greet the day before our annual induction banquet. Join us for hors d’oeuvres, drinks and conversation with our inductees (Dave Brock, Charles Pogue and Ellensburg’s Eaton family) at the museum. Admission is free, however, we will be selling quilt raffle tickets as well as our Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame wine. And if you haven’t bought them already, well……………
Tickets still remain for Saturday’s annual induction banquet at the Spirit Therapeutic Riding Center. All-Around cowboy Dave Brock, Team Roper Charles Pogue and local stock contractors from Ellensburg, the Eaton Family, will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame during Saturday’s event. You can purchase tickets at Friday’s Meet & Greet or online at ellensburgrodeohalloffame.org. The Spirit Therapeutic Riding Center is located at 1051 Sorenson Rd, just east of Ellensburg. Our social hour begins at 5 p.m., with dinner served at 6 p.m.
What else is going on? Well, the Ellensburg Rodeo of course! This year’s 101st installment opens with Wednesday’s slack beginning at 8 a.m. The WestStar Best of the Best Open Roping (which has always been a great supporter of the Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame) begins around 1 p.m. at the arena. The fair opens late Thursday morning, with another day of slack on the schedule as well. Friday’s 6:45 p.m. Grant Entry officially kicks off the rodeo, Saturday’s performance begins at 12:45 p.m., and Saturday night’s Xtreme Bulls opens its doors at 7 p.m. Sunday’s performance begins at 11:45 a.m., with Monday’s short-round finale also starting at 11:45 a.m. However, make sure to spend time at the Hall of Fame’s display room at the rodeo arena’s Western Village as we will be open prior to the rodeo through the end of each performance. On display will be information and pictures of this year’s inductees, as well as information and artifacts from the Hall of Fame’s itself.
The entertainment and events continue as we head into the fall. Make sure to circle two dates on your October calendar. Our 5th annual Whiskey Tasting sponsored by Heritage Distilling Co. will be held on Thursday evening, October 10th from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Not even two weeks later will be our final Night at the Museum presentation where we bring in rodeo judges and pickup men to continue our speaker series highlighting all aspects of the rodeo experience. Plan to attend on Tuesday Oct. 22nd at 7 p.m. Both events are hosted at the Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame Museum at 416 N Pearl St., in downtown Ellensburg.
As always keep tabs of the Hall of Fame through our website at ellensburgrodeohalloffame.org and our Instagram and Facebook pages which are routinely updated with pictures and content. The museum is open Tuesday through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.