A beloved community tradition continues with the 88th annual Dixie Roundup Rodeo, parade

The 85th annual Dixie Roundup Rodeo parade makes its way down Tabernacle Street, Sept. 21, 2019, St. George, Utah | File photo by Andrew Pinckney, St. George News

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Attendees at the 88th annual Dixie Roundup Rodeo, scheduled for this weekend, will once again be able to support community causes while enjoying three nights of classic Western entertainment with the family.

85th annual St. George Lions Club Dixie Roundup Rodeo, Sept. 19, 2019, St. George, Utah | File photo by Andrew Pinckney, St. George News

The rodeo, which has been hosted by the St. George Lions Club every year since 1934, is eagerly anticipated by fans of all ages. Locals count on it being held the third weekend in September, and some even plan their vacations around it.

“One of the main reasons it’s been going on for so long is that generation after generation will continue to attend,” St. George Lions secretary Mark Breinholt said. “People come with their kids and grandkids and great-grandkids and buy the same seats every year, so there’s a sense of tradition.”

Bull riding, bareback and saddle bronc riding, team roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing are among the nightly attractions, plus mutton busting for the kids. The Dixie Roundup Rodeo is sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the world’s largest rodeo organization.

Plan on the rodeo finals on Saturday selling out, Breinholt said. Thursday is always kids’ night, when children ages 11 and under can enter for free and spend their money on the St. George Lions’ “world-famous” hamburgers and hot dogs instead.

On Friday, $1 from every ticket will be set aside for the Intermountain Foundation to benefit breast cancer patients in Southern Utah. Both spectators and rodeo participants are encouraged to wear pink as a show of support for breast cancer awareness. Each Pink Night typically raises between $10,000 and $12,000, and the St. George Lions have donated well over $100,000 through the years.

“It’s just a tradition. People love going to the rodeo,” said Amy Chesley, co-host of the 99.9 KONY Country morning show.

85th annual St. George Lions Club Dixie Roundup Rodeo, Sept. 19, 2019, St. George, Utah | File photo by Andrew Pinckney, St. George News

Admission costs $20 per person for reserved seating, $15 for general admission adults and $5 for kids ages 11 and under. Kids age 2 and younger who can sit on an adult’s lap may enter for free.

Tickets can be purchased directly from the St. George Lions at 301 E. 100 South or by calling the rodeo hotline at 435-673-3301. The sales office is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. 

The rodeo parade, another time-honored community tradition, gets underway Saturday at 9 a.m. The route starts on Tabernacle Street near 200 West going east to 400 East. New this year, 99.9 KONY Country will be doing a “parade of cash.” Anyone who makes a poster with the radio station on it will receive a ticket, and one of those tickets will be selected to win $100 at the end of the parade. 

The Dixie Roundup Rodeo started as a small event put on by the founding members of the St. George Lions, most of whom Breinholt described as having “some cowboy in them.” The Dixie Sunbowl has been the event’s home ever since it opened in the late 1940s. At the time of its construction, the St. George Lions were about 60 members strong, and each donated $100 along with plenty of “sweat equity” to help build the arena.

Today, the rodeo serves as the only source of revenue for the St. George Lions and supports their contributions to scholarship funds, rodeo clubs, collegiate sports teams and 4-H and Future Farmers of America high school programs in the area. A portion of the proceeds also fund the local arm of the Lions International initiative to improve quality of life for the visually impaired.

Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.

•  S P O N S O R E D   C O N T E N T  •

Event details

  • What: St. George Lions Club Dixie Roundup Rodeo.
  • When: Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 15-17, from 6-11 p.m.
  • Where: Dixie Sunbowl, 150 S. 400 East, St. George.
  • Tickets: Reserved seating $20; adult general admission $15; kids (11 and under) general admission $5.
  • Resources: Telephone: 435-673-3301 | Email: rodeo@stgeorgelions.com | Website.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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