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A full-fledged Rodeo was once a local event.
Redwood City has a long history of an annual Fourth of July Parade. In fact, it was one of the largest on the west coast.
However, did you know the annual celebration also included a rodeo? Indeed, complete with calf roping, bull riding, trick riders and bucking broncos, the rodeo would take place after the Independence Day parade.
It all got started with pony races for children in 1940. This led to having a full-fledged rodeo event which included a carnival, in 1941. It started out as a two-day event and became so popular it expanded to four days.
Held in various locations, including along Vera Avenue, it settled at a location near Bayshore Highway and Broadway in 1947. Attendance kept expanding, to the point where almost 10,000 people a day were taking in the festivities.
The riding events provided large cash prizes, which attracted many of the top riders from the rodeo circuit.
The festivities also included the crowning of “Miss Redwood City/’Queen of the Rodeo.” Once evening arrived fireworks lit up the sky.
The annual rodeo thrived for a solid decade. However, in the early 1950s things began to change with the construction of Highway 101. The rodeo was suspended one year because of this. After scaling it back and due to various other challenges, the final rodeo took place in 1963.
Alas, many locals have childhood memories of seeing real cowboys in Redwood City.
Everything else is just history.
Some of the photos used in this blog are courtesy of the Local History Room, Redwood City’s best-kept secret. The Local History Collection covers all aspects of Redwood City’s development, from the 1850s to the present day, with particular emphases on businesses, public schools, civic organizations, city agencies, and early family histories. The Local History Room is not affiliated with the Redwood City Public Library, but it is inside it.
