What Nebraska's Big Rodeo Is
Nebraska's Big Rodeo is a PRCA-sanctioned rodeo held every July in Burwell, a town of about 1,200 people at the edge of the Nebraska Sandhills. Homer C. Stokes started it in September 1921 alongside the Garfield County Fair, and the first saddle bronc winner, H.D. Kraus, took home a new pair of spurs and $25. By the 1930s it had become a must-stop for top professional cowboys, and the Rodeo Committee was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2022. Organizers say about 18,000 visitors come in a typical year. The event is run by the Garfield County Agricultural Society.
It is a spectator event first: you buy a seat, watch professional contestants, and stay for the music. Cowboys and cowgirls who want to compete enter through the PRCA.
What You Can Watch
- Bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding: the three rough stock events, each scored out of 100 points. A rider must stay aboard for eight seconds, and judges score both rider and animal.
- Timed events: tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing.
- Legacy Steer Roping: a PRCA event on Thursday morning. The roper ropes a running steer around the horns, dallies, stops the steer, dismounts, throws it by hand and ties three legs.
- Extreme Bulls: the Wednesday night bull-riding opener, with $30,000 in added money in the Division 2 Xtreme Bulls.
- Crowd events: the Dinner Bell Derby, a wild horse race and chuck wagon races, plus clown acts and BMX motorcycle shows after the rodeo.
The 2026 Run: July 22 to 25
The 2026 rodeo ran Wednesday through Saturday and added new attractions. Wednesday, July 22 opened with the Larry the Cable Guy Get Her Done PRCA Extreme Bulls, with 45 riders drawn from the PRCA's top 100. Thursday through Saturday brought the regular PRCA performances, with bands in the beer garden each night. A new grandstand replaced the original, which storms destroyed, and the historic entry arch still stands. A parade runs Saturday morning, and the Garfield County Fair, with its livestock shows, takes place the same week. Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets and Seating
Ticket choices have included single-performance tickets, multi-day passes, reserved and general admission seats, VIP packages, group rates for 10 or more, family packages and combinations that include the concerts. Ticket sales for the rodeo have opened in late May in recent years. For the 2025 Legacy Steer Roping, adult tickets (ages 5 and over) were $40 and tickets for ages 4 and under were $28, all inclusive. Friday and Saturday nights are the first to sell out, and lodging in Burwell and nearby towns fills quickly in rodeo week. Parking is free at the fairgrounds, and camping is available near the grounds.
Where
Garfield County Frontier Fairgrounds, 46710 L St, Burwell, NE 68823. The grounds sit on 40 acres and the arena is on the National Register of Historic Places. Burwell is reached on Highway 11.
Questions
What time does the rodeo start?
Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday's Legacy Steer Roping started at 8:00 a.m. in 2025.
Is it family friendly?
Yes. The event is open to the public with kids' activities, including mutton bustin' and calf scrambles in recent years.
Who do I call?
The Garfield County Agricultural Society, 308-346-5010, or questions@nebraskasbigrodeo.com.
When is the next one?
The rodeo is held each July during Garfield County Fair week. The most recent edition was July 22 to 25, 2026.
Official Links
- Nebraska's Big Rodeo: official site and tickets
- WOWT: Nebraska's Big Rodeo returns to Burwell: 2026 new events
- ProRodeo Hall of Fame: history and induction
- Prairie Pro Rodeos: Nebraska's Big Rodeo: format and ticket options
- Legacy Steer Roping: event description and ticket prices
- Division 2 Xtreme Bulls: bull riding night
- Garfield County Fair event page: address, parking, organizer phone
Major Nebraska Stock Shows and Rodeos: The Essentials
Nebraska's major junior stock shows are held at Fonner Park in Grand Island: the Nebraska State Fair (August 28-September 7, 2026; August 27-September 6, 2027) and the Aksarben Stock Show (September 24-27, 2026; September 23-26, 2027). Husker Harvest Days follows September 15-17, 2026, and Nebraska's Big Rodeo runs in Burwell in July.
State Fair
4-H and FFA shows cover beef, swine, sheep and goats. Nominate animals and submit DNA by June 15; entries and YQCA are due August 10 at 8 p.m.
Aksarben
Open to youth ages 9 to 19 from 14 states, with no 4-H affiliation required. In 2026, DNA nominations were due July 1 and entries ran August 1 to September 4.
Rodeos and farm shows
Nebraska's Big Rodeo in Burwell ran July 22-25, 2026, with PRCA competition and the Garfield County Fair during the same week. Husker Harvest Days is a working farm show with irrigation, crops, livestock and machinery on display. Plan around the June 15, July 1 and August 10 exhibitor deadlines.
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- Garfield County Fair and Nebraska's Big Rodeo
Garfield County Fair paired with Nebraska's Big Rodeo at the Frontier Fairgrounds in Burwell, July 22-25, 2026, with the Saturday night rodeo on July 25.
- Nebraska Wheat Board Meeting
Wheat checkoff board meeting on the Nebraska Wheat calendar, held in Lincoln on Nov. 18, 2026, from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.
- Nebraska Farm Bureau Annual Meeting and Convention
Farm Bureau members meet for policy voting, discussion meet rounds, workshops, a keynote and board elections. The 2026 meeting is Dec. 6 to 8; the 2025 convention was also held in Kearney.
- Nebraska Cattlemen Convention and Trade Show
Annual convention and trade show of Nebraska Cattlemen at the Younes Conference Center South in Kearney, scheduled for Dec. 9 to 11, 2026.
- Box Butte County 4-H Holiday Maker Day
Youth ages 5-18 choose four holiday projects from 2:30 to 4:30 pm on Friday, December 18, 2026; registration is due December 1 at the Extension office.
Alliance, NE | Organizer: Nebraska Extension in Box Butte County Official event details
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.