It is not just the raging bulls and courageous cowhands; the Fortuna rodeo is a week-long family festival with something for everyone. The rodeo committee works tirelessly to create fun activities that begin on Monday with a citywide chili cook off and end on the following Sunday afternoon at the rodeo arena.
The perfect summer weather lends itself to outdoor activities, and rodeo week is just that. Come enjoy small town Americana. The good, old days are still happening every year at the Fortuna Rodeo.
In 1921 the Cattlemen's Association put on its first Fortuna Rodeo. One has been held every year since then except during World War II. The participants come from all over the West. This two-day rodeo, held on the third weekend in July, is the oldest rodeo in Northern California and has the largest payoff per event in the state with a $2,500 top prize for the all-around champion. A prize handmade saddle is given to the top local cowboy. Due to its size, a separate Junior Rodeo is held separately, attracting over a hundred young entrants.
The size of the audience has also grown and over six thousand people descend on Fortuna for the week-long event. This event includes street games, sports and contests, breakfasts and barbecues, a carnival, dances and shows, including a two-hour long parade through downtown Fortuna on Saturday. The parade includes the Kidnapped Tourists-a lucky couple who have been treated royally for several days with stays at the finest lodgings and food from the finest restaurants.
Speaking of food, the Kiwanis breakfast and the Rodeo barbecue are legendary. No one goes away hungry. The deep pit barbecue is delicious, thanks to an all-night effort by the tired crew.
The kids love Rodeo week because there are many attractions for them. All week long, old-fashioned street games include apple bobbing, cow chip throwing, egg toss, penny scramble and other contests. These downtown games draw a crowd every evening. The local firemen compete in a muster and everyone gets wet that night.
The Redwood Village Shopping Center puts on shows and holds games and contests for the kids also, including a greased pole climb. The fire trucks are on display and the kids get to hold a fire hose and act like firemen, and the firemen get to hold a fire hose and act like kids.
The carnival with its rides and its midway is set up in Rohner Park and operates for several days. The rodeo festival attracts a large crowd and even the local radio stations join in the event. The Teen and Junior Dances are on Friday night, and the Rodeo Ball on Saturday night is the biggest dance of the year. To ensure the safety of the public, ordinances are enforced during this week.
The weekend following the rodeo brings the three-day Fortuna Redwood Autorama. Antique cars and hot rods fill the streets of Fortuna. With this much going on, careful planning is a must. People plan their vacations, weddings, reunions and visits around Rodeo Week and Autorama. The whole town gets involved with merchants trying to outdo each other with window paintings and displays. Banners and flags wave in the breeze. And the day after it's over the planning starts for an even bigger and better show for next year.
