The Greeley Stampede grew from a 1922 rodeo for potato farmers

In 1922, brothers Fred and Warrack Norcross helped pull together a one-day “Spud Rodeo” to honor the potato farmers who were then a big part of the local economy. About 2,500 people came out. That small Fourth of July gathering is the seed of what Greeley now calls the Stampede.

A century later it looks different. The Stampede typically runs 12 days around Independence Day and draws hundreds of thousands of people to Island Grove Regional Park. The lineup has grown to include professional rodeo, concerts, a parade, a carnival, a demolition derby, and other events. The ProRodeo Hall of Fame inducted the Stampede as a rodeo committee in 2014.

Dates shift each year, usually from late June into early July. Check the current schedule and ticket details on the official Stampede site before making plans.