Rodeo News

SALINAS, CA - October 13, 2009 -The Colmo Parade, a fond memory for many locals,  will once again grace the streets of Old Town Salinas and commemorate what was at one time the largest night lighted parade West of the Mississippi on July 10, 2010. As the California Rodeo was first produced in 1911, so was the first informal night parade.  The parade was organized by local townsfolk and included decorated automobiles that would drive down Main St. in Salinas to wrap up Big Week festivities.  Later, in 1913, the parade was formalized. After the 1985 Big Week, the Colmo was eliminated from Rodeo activities, though a few years later in 1987 it was brought back and was a part of the Saturday horse parade.  That was the last time the Colmo was held, until now. The Colmo del Rodeo Parade will take to the streets of Old Town Salinas in 2010 to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the California Rodeo Salinas and kick off what is shaping up to be the biggest Big Week ever.

 The entertainment will kick off on July 10^th at 6:30pm with the annual Kiddie Kapers Parade moving from its usual Tuesday night before the Rodeo time slot to the Saturday before the Rodeo as the prelude to the Colmo del Rodeo Parade. The Colmo Parade itself will kick off at 8pm. Awards for parade winners in designated categories will be given out at 10pm, following the end of the parade, at the National Steinbeck Center.

There is an application and approval process that each group must go through in order to participate with a float or a group in the Colmo Parade. Applications and guidelines are available at www.CARODEO.com under the drop down menu for Centennial Parade and at the Rodeo Office at 1034 N. Main Street in Salinas. Deadline for entry is May 15, 2010. Visit the Rodeo's website through out the year for updated information on parade float building work-shops and more.

 Several sponsorship opportunities are available for the parade; a VIP reception will be held for parade sponsors on July 10, 2010 at the National Steinbeck Center before and during the parade. Barbara Balentine, Sponsorship Coordinator for the California Rodeo Salinas, can be contacted directly about sponsorship opportunities at 831-775-3104. Sponsor packages are available online at www.CARODEO.com.  

 Long-time Rodeo volunteer Mikel Ann Miller will head up the committee for the Colmo Parade; the Rodeo Association has also hired Ray Pulver of Upbeat Parades, a professional parade coordinator, to help with the preparation and production of the Colmo. Ray has worked on the Salinas Holiday Parade of Lights parade as well as the Rose Bowl and many other well-known parades. Ray says "We are thrilled to have the Colmo Parade return to Salinas for the 100th Anniversary of the Rodeo.  We look forward to community participation in the parade and are working to bring some very exciting entries to the parade." The revival of the Colmo del Rodeo Parade is sure to be a highlight of the Centennial Celebration of the California Rodeo Salinas in 2010.

Direct link to Colmo del Rodeo Parade info on Rodeo's website: http://www.carodeo.com/centennial/parade/

 

The California Rodeo Salinas will celebrate 100 Years of Tradition July 15-18, 2010. The California Rodeo Association is a non-profit organization that strives to preserve and promote the traditions of the California Rodeo Salinas and the West. We support the community and other non-profit organizations through the staging of the annual California Rodeo Salinas and other year round operations of the Salinas Sports Complex. Through donation of our facility, vending and fundraising opportunities during Rodeo and other events, the California Rodeo Association returns over $200,000 annually to local non-profits. For more information about the California Rodeo Salinas, log on to www.CARodeo.com or call the California Rodeo Office at 831-775.3100.

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