83rd  Annual Rooftop Rodeo July 7 - 12, 2009   Since 2003 the rodeo has been ranked as one of the five best small rodeos in the country by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The Rooftop Rodeo won top honors in 2003 and 2006.

Dust off those cowboy hats and polish up those spurs!  Get ready for a great Colorado Rodeo. The 2009 Rooftop Rodeo will kick off with a colorful parade at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 7th in downtown Estes Park. There will be six exciting PRCA Rodeo performances at 7:30 p.m. each evening beginning Tuesday and continuing through Sunday, July 12th at The Fairgrounds at Stanley Park. The Midway opens nightly at 5:30 p.m. Don't miss the mechanical bucking bull, face-painting, balloon animals, exciting vendors, great food, a display of Dodge trucks and more before each rodeo performance. There will also be "Behind the Chutes" tours, letting you get up close and personal with the rodeo personnel. Tickets are $10 per person for the tour and are available by calling the fairgrounds office at 970-586-6104. Check the schedule for times for rodeo, parade, dance and ticket prices! 

Saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, tie down roping, bareback riding, barrel racing and bull riding are among the PRCA sanctioned events that will entertain and astonish each evening's audience. In addition, people will not want to miss the antics of this year's rodeo clown.  Join us for one of the Colorado's most scenic rodeos!

Back by popular demand, the Mutton Bustin' competition in the arena offers youngsters a chance to start their own rip-roaring Colorado rodeo careers. Each night, 10 helmet-wearing children between the ages of 5 and 8, each get a chance to ride sheep and hang on as long as they can!  For more information on entering this event or for registration forms, please call 970-586-6104. Registrations will be accepted beginning April 1, 2009.

Kicking off rodeo week festivities will be the traditional Rooftop Rodeo Parade in downtown Bond Park on Tuesday, July 7th at 10:30 a.m.   Bands, groups on horseback, floats, unique automobiles, rodeo royalty and more add a distinctively western flavor to Estes Park as the colorful entourage makes its way along Elkhorn Avenue to the fairgrounds.

Both general admission and box seat tickets are available for each rodeo performance. General admission seats are not reserved and prices are $15 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-11. Box seat tickets are $20 for all ages. Tickets go on sale April 1, 2009. Parking is $4. 

To order tickets for Estes Park's award-winning Rooftop Rodeo, call the Events Department at 970-586-6104. For more information, e-mail us at lbutton@estes.org.

Behind the Chutes Tours Have you ever thought about what it feels like to be a rodeo cowboy or cowgirl? Well, one way to get a feel for what it's like is to take the Rooftop Rodeo "Behind the Chutes" tour. Your group will be led by a tour boss who will explain the history of the Rooftop Rodeo and ranching in the Estes Valley. Next, the Franzen family, owners of one of the best rodeo production companies in professional rodeo - Powder River Rodeo - will talk to you about professional rodeo and what happens behind the chutes. You will see bareback broncs, saddle broncs, bulls and roping calves up close. There is the possibility that you will be able to visit with the rodeo announcer, the rodeo clown and rodeo cowboys themselves. This is a great experience for the entire family! When getting your rodeo tickets, be sure to ask for a Behind the Chutes pass. Adult passes are $10 and passes for children 10 and under are just $5. All funds raised go toward supporting the Rooftop Rodeo. There is only one tour each evening and it begins at 5:45. The ticket gates open at 5:30. Hope to see you there! Call 970-586-6104 to make a reservation.

Click here for more information about the Rooftop Rodeo.