Sisters Rodeo is Iconic

Sisters Rodeo Arena. Photo by Cody Rheault

Sisters Rodeo is known as “The Biggest Little Show In The World” — and it is. For four days running June 10-14, Sisters will draw the best cowboys and cowgirls in the business to test their mettle against some of the finest stock in rodeo. That’s a tradition that dates back to 1940 — and it keeps on growing, bringing in fans from all across the West.

There are even international groups that come to Sisters each year for the Rodeo.

But Sisters Rodeo’s impact goes way beyond one fun and wild weekend.

The rodeo organization, made up virtually entirely of volunteers, is a major contributor to the Sisters community. The economic impact is big, of course — thousands of people visit Sisters for the rodeo, shopping, dining, and staying in local lodging establishments. 

There are other impacts that are not as visible, but just as important. Each year, Sisters Rodeo grants six $2,500 scholarships to students across the tri-county region — mostly young people seeking a career and life in agriculture.

“We always get a significant number of applicants,” says Rodeo Association Board Member Brian Greig.

Auctions of original poster art often raise thousands of dollars for local charities, and a Real Men Wear Pink fundraiser for the American Cancer Association also raises thousands of dollars each year.

The Sisters Kiwanis Club hosts an annual Buckaroo Breakfast on Rodeo Sunday, which funds its many service projects in Sisters. Other service organizations and school programs work at the Rodeo to raise funds.

So while the show is big, the impact is even bigger from The Biggest Little Show In The World.