Rodeo Time! The Snake River Stampede.

  Every July, Idahoans have the chance to see one of the top rodeos in the country at The Snake River Stampede. Since 1937, this Nampa rodeo has entertained thousands.

Held at the Idaho Center in Nampa, rodeo ticket prices start at $13.00 for adults and $4.00 for kids. Events include barrel racing, bull riding, team roping, bareback bronc riding, and steer wrestling among others. For full details on events, hours, and tickets visit the rodeo site here. Food and drinks for adults are not allowed into the center, though they kindly allowed the sippy cup of milk in my daughter's diaper bag into the rodeo.

As a certified city slicker, rodeo culture is entirely new to me. There was a definite patriotic, heartland-of-America kind of vibe. There were plenty of pick-ups and cowboy hats, but also enough suburbanites that I didn't stick out like a sore thumb. The bucking events will give you an entirely new appreciation for the eternity that eight seconds can be. My kids enjoyed the lighted horse drill team and the stage coach, and I watched the toughest pack of 5-7 year olds I've ever seen participate in "mutton busting". Mutton busting is a pre-rodeo event that involves kids riding sheep bareback for as long as possible.

If you want to feel like a cowboy for a day, you can visit the rodeo tonight, tomorrow afternoon, or watch the finals on Saturday evening.