Home on the range
Western Fest brings residents and rodeo fans back to Granite Falls
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GRANITE FALLS -- For three nights in June, hundreds of people gather at the Lee Mar Arena near Granite Falls to cheer on the cowboys at the Western Fest PRCA Rodeo. The crowd isn't only people from southwest Minnesota, either.
"It's like they come farther and farther every year," said John Richter of the Western Fest Rodeo committee. Some fans will follow a particular cowboy to watch him compete, and many people come to Western Fest to get a chance to see American rodeo for the first time, he said.
"There's always stories out there to hear," he said.
The 33rd Western Fest PRCA Rodeo kicked off Thursday night. Richter said organizers were anticipating a good crowd.
"We figure on 1,500 to 2,000 people a night," he said.
"For people in Granite Falls, it's kind of like their yearly homecoming," Richter said.
Rodeo has a long history in Granite Falls, Richter said. The Lee Mar Arena, which was originally owned by the late Lee and Martha Mooney, was the site of the Minnesota High School Rodeo finals for more than 30 years. The last high school rodeo held at the arena was in 1988. After that, rodeo organizers reached out to the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA).
Since 1989 the PRCA rodeo has been part of Granite Falls' Western Fest, with only a pause during the COVID pandemic.
This year, The Western Fest Rodeo drew more than 400 contestants in events ranging from calf roping and barrel racing to saddle bronc and bull riding. Richter said the number of entries was "a little bit bigger" this year.
"There were a few more bull riders and saddle bronc riders," he said.
The number of entries meant that every night of the rodeo, there was something to catch everyone's interest. There were even ways for the youngest rodeo fans to get in on the fun, with mutton busting each night before the rodeo.
Richter said mutton busting -- where kids do their best to hang on to a sheep -- has been a popular attraction, but it's not truly part of the competition. At a PRCA rodeo, the emphasis is on the professional cowboys and events, he said.
"When it starts, it's non-stop action from beginning to end," Richter said. "There's something going on all the time."
The Western Fest rodeo has grown a large and dedicated crowd over the years, Richter said.
"Many people know about Granite Falls and rodeo," he said. Part of it was because professional rodeo has been growing in popularity. But it's also helped that over the years area fans have had hometown cowboys to root for. On Friday, fans were cheering for Granite Falls native Tanner Aus, who came back to compete at Western Fest.
As the rodeo has continued to grow in popularity, supporters have worked to update the arena. This year, visitors at Western Fest would see new bleachers, new fencing and other features, Richter said.
"We've had a busy spring remodeling," he said.