The Famous Pendleton Round-Up: 5 Notes for First-Timers
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Technically, I had been to Pendleton, Oregon before. Or rather I should say I’d been through Pendleton. I stayed overnight on my way to Idaho and I had a very…abysmal bowl of mac and cheese at the only restaurant that was still open at 10pm then went to bed and left at first light. But this time I was visiting for a specific event – The Pendleton Round-Up.
Since I live in Oregon, I had also heard of the event and from what I gathered it was a big rodeo. While I’ve always admired cowboy culture (I grew up playing Harvest Moon as a child and then graduated to Red Dead Redemption in high school), I’d never gone to a rodeo before. Well, until Portland’s very own (and very first) annual Black rodeo. Long story short cuz I’ll probably write up it’s own blog post, the annual 8 Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo is a rodeo celebrating Black cowboys, cowgirls, and cowpals that are often overlooked in the mainstream rodeo world.
It was an incredible event and I was IMMEDIATELY hooked on cowboy culture.
But…again, my PTO is precious and I would have to take a week off of work (since I work Thurs-Sat 12 hour shifts) and I was hesitant to use that PTO for Pendleton when…yanno I could literally go anywhere else in the world.
But then I got offered my first ever media trip to experience the Pendleton Round-Up on behalf of Pendleton Whisky! Safe to say, it was the nudge I needed to finally take the plunge and check out the event. Now, full transparency, I am not writing this blog post as part of the media trip deal.
I’ll be writing an article for another publication for that.
I am fully writing this post for my own blog to relay my honest experience. That said, my hotel and admission price were covered by the brand, along with a few meals and presents to take home. We were given media passes and pretty sweet seats, so not everyone will have this luxurious experience (unless you pay for it I suppose) so I’ll be mindful of those things as I do this post and point out added perks I received for being part of the media team.
Wow okay this intro disclaimer has gone on long enough haha, let’s just jump into it yeah?
Table of Contents
What is the Pendleton Round-Up?
First of all, what the heck is the Pendleton Round-Up?
Don’t worry, I promise I won’t go into the entire history but…the answer does start there. The first Pendleton Round-Up was held in 1910 to celebrate the largely agricultural community of Pendleton and the surrounding areas. The introduced the event as a “frontier exhibition of western pastimes” that included racing and bronco busting and cattle roping. Real cowboy stuff.
But something that made the first (and subsequent) Pendleton Round-Ups different than the hundreds of other rodeos that existed then and since is that the Pendleton Round-Up started and continued Native American participation with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indians neighbors and other Tribes in the Northwest. Now, naturally their perception of the Round-Up understandably has different memories and feelings associated with it, but it adds a layer that isn’t found at other rodeos.
Since its inception (is that the right word?), the Pendleton Round-Up has been volunteer led and is a non-profit community organization. While it has CERTAINLY grown over its 100+ years of existence, it still upholds its dedication to the preservation and celebration of rich western heritage, diverse cultures, and vibrant community spirit with the help of over 1,500 volunteers and local businesses and organizations supporting both during the actual event and year-round.
If that was too long for you to read, then here’s the gist: it’s a huge rodeo in Pendleton, Oregon that completely transforms the town into a week long cowboy party.
What to Expect at the Pendleton Round-Up?
Okay, so it’s a huge rodeo. There will be….what? Bucking bulls and some cowboys trying to hang onto their horse, right?
Ahh…you’re in for a whole new world.
If you’ve been to a rodeo before, then multiply your experience by at least 100. That’s what the Pendleton Round-Up is like. If you’ve never been to a rodeo, then let me try to paint an accurate picture for you from someone whose mind was completely blown.
1. It’s not very diverse…
The first and most starkly obvious thing I noticed was that the Round-Up was very white. I KNOW I KNOWWW it’s a western themed event in OREGON of all places – PENDLETON Oregon at that – so I wasn’t expecting the town itself to be a United Nations. But at the same time…I had just come from a Black rodeo so…I know there are Black and brown cowboys out there.
A lot of em, in fact.
So…to not see any…was…a little……
Strange.
On the same foot, I was often the only Black person in sight. Aside from a few other invitees also on the media trip, usually everyone else was white. While everyone was friendly and welcoming, but considering the environment and climate…my spidey senses were READY. Again, I personally had a fantastic time and, apart from three separate white women touching my hair, the general crowd was nice and encouraging and often hyping me up a la “love your hair! you look amazing! you’re so stylish!”
And to be fair – all of those things were true. I was indeed feelin myself that weekend.
But in the back of my head I couldn’t help but wonder…if I were not on a media trip. If I were not in a group with other folks of marginalized backgrounds. If I were visiting Pendleton alone. If my skin was darker, if my body was larger, if I weren’t as femme presenting…
Would I have had the same experience?
I don’t know, honestly. I do plan on going back to the Pendleton Round-Up next year since I did have a fantastic time, but going on my own will probably be with my group of friends who are largely not-white, visibly not-straight, and some with visible disabilities. So we’ll see how that goes and I’ll update here.
I will say while there weren’t many (if any) Black or Asian folks in most spaces I entered that weekend, there were a considerable about of Native American and Indigenous people, and pockets of Latine visitors (mostly families) in the crowd which did make me more comfortable. A large part of that has to do with the demographic of the area. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation is only ten minutes away and Pendleton is part of their ancestral lands (along with the Cayuse and Walla Walla tribes).
2. It’s pretty packed
Alright moving on, another thing you can expect from the Pendleton Round-Up are CROWDS. People really come OUT for this event. Since it’s founding in 1910 (!!!), the Pendleton Round-Up has always been about community first, and that’s including involvement from the Umatilla Reservation. The town literally preps ALL YEAR for this event and I believe it’s one of the largest rodeo events in the country.
Don’t quote me on that tho.
So with that in mind, if you are traveling from out of town (chances are if you’re reading this…you are) then you’ll want to book accommodations EARLY. Our group stayed at the Pendleton MotoLodge which was both super convenient and super affordable for the dates. Since we were with the media team, we were often in the VIP areas and the space was a nice break. Depending on your budget, going VIP might not be feasible, so I’d recommend arriving early and grabbing seats before the stands start to fill up.
In terms of food and restaurants, they were also busy. If possible make reservations or eat earlier/later than usual to avoid peak dinner traffic.
3. There are after parties
Something else to note at the Pendleton Round-Up is that…they know how to PARTY. I’m a sleepy girl who likes to warm up under the covers, so I personally didn’t stay out too late most nights. But on the last day of our trip, we did go out as a group to a few different spots and they were all the way turnt up.
If you’re visiting from a large(r) city, then you’ll notice alcoholic drinks are very affordable in Pendleton and bartenders are especially gracious during the Pendleton Round-Up (so definitely be sure to tip them!!). You’ll find a party atmosphere pretty much ANYWHERE open after dinner (and often even at dinner lol), but one of the main spots where the young and young-at-heart go is the Let ‘Er Buck room at the Pendleton Round-Up, Mac’s Bar & Grill, and Goldie’s Bar.
4. Different events happen on different days
Maybe this is a no brainer for folks that have already gone to a few multi-day rodeos, but as someone who has only attended ONE single day rodeo, it was news to me. Each day of the Pendleton Round-Up hosts different events, and even different events outside of the rodeo such as parades, beauty-pageants, vendor booths, etc etc. If you’re not staying the whole week, you’ll definitely want to take a look at the schedule and see if there’s a certain few days you’d prefer seeing.
Most people opt for the weekend for the finals, but if you just want to see some cowboy stuff without PEAK crowds, then visiting midweek might be more your speed.
Since the Pendleton Round-Up is a non-profit organization and event, I also want to point out that different days highlight different charity organizations from the area – for example, “Tough Enough To Wear Pink” happens on Thursday to raise awareness and money for breast cancer support programs in the local community. These themes are a fun way to incorporate that main message of community support and giving back that the Pendleton Round-Up was founded on.
5. You’ll have to visit the Tipi Village
And last but the farthest from least, when you visit the Pendleton Round-Up, do NOT make the mistake of skipping the Tipi Village. Like I mentioned earlier, the Pendleton Round-Up was created in collaboration with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation. Granted, I did not see every single event, but I didn’t see a lot of that Indigenous collaboration on the “main stage” of the Pendleton Round-Up. Like, aside from the Native horse relay race and two of the princesses…where is the partnership?
It may be on purpose, maybe they don’t want to be on the “main stage” which is their right. But thankfully there is the Tipi Village! In the simplest explanation, the Tipi Village started by families from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation setting up their tipi to enjoy the Pendleton Round-Up while within the support and comfort of their community.
To this day, a lot of families (or individuals) still have the same tipi or at least in the same spot that their grandparents and great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents had set up from the earliest years of the Pendleton Round-Up. You can feel the generational connectivity! As a visitor though, you walk through the Tipi Village to get to a Native vendor space where you can directly buy from Indigenous owned businesses!
Is the Pendleton Round-Up Worth it?
Honestly, I’d go as far to relate the Pendleton Round-Up to a music festival. Like, you can go to a concert (or a rodeo in this instance), ORRRR you can go to a music festival like Coachella and get the show and a bunch of extra fun with it. That’s kinda what the Pendleton Round-Up is like. It literally feels like a festival, especially with so much extra hub-bub around down throughout the week.
So YES, the Pendleton Round-Up is absolutely worth it!
If you’re into western culture, I highly recommend following a few of the western-focused influencers that were on our media trip!
Conclusion
I had a great time at the Pendleton Round-Up 2024 and I can’t wait to “let ‘er buckkkkkk” next year. I’m so thankful to Pendleton Whisky for even inviting and got me to try out an event that I have always been interested in but was to hesitant to try out myself. If you’re also in the same boat as me – wanting to go but unsure of how the experience will be – hopefully this post has helped paint a more accurate picture so that you’ll know what to expect.
Have you ever been to the Pendleton Round-Up? If so, let me know your experience in the comments below and if you have any other tips for first-timers!
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