103rd Annual Fortuna Rodeo this weekend

The 103rd annual Fortuna rodeo is kicking off today. 

“It is the biggest rodeo in Humboldt County. It’s probably the biggest rodeo in Northern California. you know, a local open rodeo”, says Shannon McWhorter, president and director of the Fortuna Rodeo. 

It goes all weekend but kicks off Friday July 19th with Bullfighters Only, which puts a spin  on traditional bullfighting. 

“It’s a national group that performs all over the country. They’ve been coming to Fortuna for, I think this is their ninth year that they are coming to Fortuna, and when they started in Fortuna, they were just starting to grow. They’ve been getting more national attention all over the last few years”, McWhorter says. 

Rodeo Week was extended in recent years from 7 to 9 days. A peak moment is the parade. 

“The parade, the biggest parade in Humboldt County starts tomorrow at 11 on Main Street. And we have, I don’t know, 3 or 4000 people lined the streets here for to watch it. It’s it’s quite a quite a deal. The Saturday performance starts at 1:00, and gates open at 12. And, that’s a full slate of rodeo events. Bronc riding, bull riding, barrel racing, breakaway roping, team roping. And, we also got some steer riding and some mutton lessons that the kids will participate in other events as well”, he says. 

Some returning favorite food vendors will be there as well. 

“We got some great nonprofit concessionaires here, and the food is really good. We’ve got the native sons of the Golden West that have brats and oysters. And we have Humboldt County cattle Women that are serving their famous tri tip sandwiches”,  he said. 

“We keep all our concessionaires as non-profits so that all the money raised goes back to those non-profits. That’s what it’s about, is giving back to the community with the rodeo”, he said. 

The Rodeo will be at Rohner Park in Fortuna both Saturday and Sunday 1-5pm.

Story by Tucker Caraway