PENDLETON — Some people plan years in advance for the Pendleton Round-Up — while others prefer a spur-of-the-moment experience.

Although tickets to the rodeo performances are sold out for Friday and Saturday (Sept. 13-14), the week offers plenty to do for residents and visitors alike.

For anyone coming into town early, the week begins with the Dress-Up Parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Hosted by the Main Street Cowboys, it is free to watch.

The parade travels through much of downtown, from Pendleton City Hall to the Round-Up Grounds.

Tickets are available for the 2024 kick-off concert, featuring Clay Walker and special guest Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry. The show is Saturday, Sept. 7, 7 p.m. in the Happy Canyon Arena. Tickets start at $55.

From Saturday to Saturday, Sept. 7-14, Pendleton is full of activities and things to see from the Pendleton Woolen Mills or Pendleton Underground Tours to the parking lots and concessions.

Round-Up President Tiah DeGrofft said community involvement is a big part of what makes the week happen.

“I love so much about the Round-Up. I think my favorite part is what it does for the community,” she said. ”Most of the concession stands in the grounds are run by not-for-profits or local sports groups, as are the parking lots and camping areas. They use the event as their largest fundraiser of the year. Funds go to scholarships, community betterment, keeping nonprofit services open in our community and so much more.”

The Pendleton Round-Up alone involves almost 1,200 volunteers — and brings an economic impact of $68 million to the Pendleton area.

“It is incredible to watch this little town welcome 100,000 visitors each year,” DeGrofft said. “As we travel promoting the Round-Up, the one thing we always hear is how nice everyone in Pendleton is. Our hospitality really precedes us! It makes me so proud.”

The rodeo

Looking for rodeo action? Tickets are still available for Wednesday and Thursday (Sept. 11-12) of the Pendleton Round-Up and the 2024 Pendleton Whisky Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale on Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 9-10).

The rodeo begins each day at 1:15 p.m. with the “Grand Entry” in the Round-Up Arena, and Xtreme Bulls events start at 7 p.m. For available tickets, visit www.pendletonroundup.com.

Evening action shifts to the Happy Canyon Night Show, a pageant that depicts the American West from early Native American culture to Oregon Trail pioneers to main street mishaps of a frontier town. The show runs from 7:45-9 p.m. Sept. 11-14. Tickets range from $14-26.

Extras

For extended evening entertainment, those over 21 can visit Goldie’s Bar, a pop-up gambling and dance hall in the Pendleton Convention Center from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Whether staying up late or starting the morning early, Pendleton’s VFW Post 922 hosts a Cowboy Breakfast with all-you-can-eat ham, eggs, pancakes, and coffee daily Wednesday-Saturday, Sept. 11-14, in Stillman Park, 413 SE Byers Ave.

Roy Raley Park also fills during Round-Up. Members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation — the Umatilla, Cayuse, and Walla Walla — erect a village of teepees on the Round-Up Grounds, and Roy Raley fills with vendors selling items from delicious foods to silver jewelry.

The Round-Up Pow Wow dance competition and Native American Beauty Contests also take place during Round-Up week and are free to view.

Main Street

As the week moves on, Main Street fills with vendors and stages for live entertainment thanks to the Main Street Cowboys.

The Main Street Show, dubbed the “Greatest Free Show in the West,” features vendors and live entertainment on almost every block of Pendleton’s Main Street.

All live entertainment on Main Street is free, and vendor items range from baked goods to leather working.

The full Main Street program, including a map with stages, bus stops and information booths, is available at www.mainstreetcowboys.org.

Main Street Cowboys also coordinate a carnival Sept. 11-14 with Davis Shows Northwest offering carnival rides and games on the south end of Main Street.

Carnival wristbands are available for discounted purchases at multiple Pendleton businesses through 4 p.m. on Sept. 10. Wristbands and individual ride tickets can be purchased at carnival ticket booths on Sept. 11.

Short visit?

If you have limited time in Pendleton, you can find something to do every hour of the day on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 13-14.

The Pendleton Round-Up hosts the Westward Ho! Parade at 10 a.m. on Sept. 13. This heritage-inspired parade prohibits motorized vehicles, focusing instead on riding groups, carts and wagons, and walkers of all shapes and sizes.

While attending the parades, you can also listen for a specific horseback group.

One of only two mounted bands in the United States, the Pendleton Round-Up Mounted Band began in 1911.

These musicians perform at both the Dress-Up Parade and the Westward Ho! Parade as well as Saturday’s “Wake-Up Call,” with the band traveling through downtown Pendleton bright and early, playing a song or two at different hotels, Hamley’s, the Rainbow Café and the Cowboy Breakfast at Stillman Park. Also, if you have tickets to Friday or Saturday’s rodeo, arrive at your seat early to catch their performance in the Round-Up Arena.

Insider tips

A Round-Up veteran, DeGrofft said she would start a Friday one-day visit with the Cowboy Breakfast, then head to the Native American Beauty Pageant on Main Street at 9 a.m. and the Westward Ho! Parade at 10 a.m.

“I would shop my way back to the rodeo grounds. Between the Main Street Cowboys vendors and the vendors up and down Court Street, there is a lot to see. Do not forget the incredible Native artists in Roy Raley Park (and maybe sneak in a fry bread taco for lunch),” she said. “Rodeo starts at 1:15 p.m., and you will want to be in your seat for that! The grand entry is my favorite part.”

After the rodeo, DeGrofft recommends a visit to Happy Canyon and — if over 21 — cap off the night with dancing, gambling and a cold drink at Goldie’s.

Find the full schedule of events at pendletonroundup.com.