Cavalcade is given the title as the world’s largest amature rodeo for a reason; it’s a week long rodeo where friends and family have the chance to get together and have some fun. “Clubs from Oklahoma and surrounding states will gather for rodeo competition, camping, and dancing a long to the bands” (“Cavalcade Street Dance”). I have been attending Cavalcade for as long as I can remember, and I would rate it five out of five stars. There are many reasons Cavalcade deserves five stars; a few of them would be the the campsites, security, and events.

In order to stay at the campsite you have to be in a club. The club that my family is in is 7-H RUC and every year my entire family on my father's side camp out. It is important to be a part of a club if you plan on camping. Everyone brings their tents and air up mattresses and some of the adults even bring their campers. There are two campsites right near the rodeo arena, one located just north of the arena and one located northwest. What I like most about the campsite is that we exact same spot and my family has been camping there since the rodeos began seventy three years ago. The camping price is fairly cheap and the only things you have to pay for are electricity and a porta potty, but the cost can be split between everyone who is camping.

Cavalcade has some of the best security I have ever saw; there are guards at every every entrance of the rodeo and campsites. Security is good but just this past year they have gone a little overboard by having security at the camp gate all night making to where if you want to drive into your camp you have to have a pass. So if you want to leave to go to the gas station or go get something to eat you get checked for your pass every time, which gets kind of annoying. The prison is also located like an eighth of a mile up the road so most of the time it’s already busy with police.

Cavalcade is by far the best rodeo I have ever been to because of all the excitement that goes on. There are morning rodeos starting at eight o'clock and evening rodeos starting at seven o'clock every day, Tuesday through Saturday. I would rate the morning rodeos a three out of five because they are a little boring with only the junior events, but I would rate the evening rodeo a five out of five because of the better events like the wild horse race and senior men's calf roping. They also have a goat roping and a mechanical bull for all the children to keep them occupied if they aren’t interested in watching the rodeo. “Pawhuska's annual cavalcade is dedicated to keeping the spirit of the Old West alive by bringing together the best cowboys and cowgirls from nationwide amateur roping and riding clubs to compete for trophies and prize money” (“Cavalcade Street Dance”).

There are all kinds of prizes, gifts, and rodeo supplies to be won and bought! The entire week there are booths set up to sell saddles, cowboy hats, caps, ropes, and about anything Western you are looking for. Every year I buy a new cap and they are usually pretty nice hats for a cheap price! Getting into the rodeo is a little pricey but I think it is well worth it. For the morning rodeos, it costs five dollars each for ages thirteen and older and three dollars for ages six through twelve, for the evening rodeos, it costs ten dollars each for thirteen and older and three dollars for ages six through twelve, anyone younger than six gets in free any time. There is also the option to buy bracelets, the all access bracelet is eighty five dollars and the rodeo only bracelets are forty five dollars. I personally like the all access bracelet because you get to use it everyday of the event and it also covers the cost of the concert. The concerts start midway through the week on Wednesday and there is one every night until Saturday. The concert usually cost twenty dollars a night, but on the very last night they usually have a pretty decent band, like “The Casey Donahew Band” and they charge a little extra, but if you have an all access bracelet, it doesn’t cost a thing.

One thing I hear a lot of debate about at Cavalcade is the food and drinks. One of my favorite things to eat and drink would be either the chicken strips or the cheese sticks, and then the lemonade. Now the only downside to the amazing food and drinks would be the cost. It cost approximately five dollars for a cup of lemonade, but you get to reuse the cup and get a refill for three dollars. You get five cheese sticks for five dollars, even though it’s expensive, at a dollar a piece for a cheese stick, it tastes amazing.

So altogether I would rate Cavalcade five out of five stars. It’s a wonderful place during the summer for a family to go and spend time together, my family always gets a lot of bonding time and I always feel very connected with everyone and everything around me. You get to meet all kinds of new people from all the different states and might even hear a band that just became your new favorite. There’s never a dull moment and the events are fantastic especially if you like rodeos. So if you’re not doing anything the second week of July travel over to Pawhuska, Oklahoma for a little fun!