The 4th of July in Rodeo, New Mexico's most Western Town

Small town 4th of July celebrations are a mixture of sweat, hard labor, and community spirit.  All in an effort to create something special on Independence Day.  In Rodeo NM this means parades, dinners, a cake auction, and an evening of dancing. 

As 6 PM approached everyone lining the parade route tuned into AM 1590 (Rodeo Radio), the lead horse riders with the American and New Mexico flags could be seen at the south end of town starting their procession up Highway 80. As with any small town parade the floats are all made locally by families and groups in the area to show their civic pride in Rodeo, the San Simon Valley, and the Boot Heel of New Mexico. This was the 37^th year of the Rodeo 4^th of July parade and the event is always sponsored and coordinated by the Rodeo Community Association. The best of show this year went to the Chiricahua Peloncillo Historical Society for its' C. S. Fly photography float and its recreation of Geronimo's surrender that ended the Indian wars in the southwest. While the model of Rodeo from the 1950's took best float. After a long line of floats through town, everyone got back to socializing and visiting. I saw people who I have not spoken with in a year so it was a good opportunity to catch up with neighbors and meet folks from the area I did not know.

The post parade events were held at the Rodeo Community Center where the traditional pulled beef brisket dinner was served. A full community center is always a good sign and following dinner the parade prizes were handed out to the winning entries. This was followed by the annual cake auction which raises funds for the Rodeo community scholarship fund which provides funds for local students seeking higher education. Rounding out the evening was the annual dance at the community center which I had to miss. With guests arriving for another family reunion at the Painted Pony Resort I had to get back to work.

It was a great break from the normal routine and another special day for me in Rodeo.

The start of the parade in Rodeo NM

Chiricahua Peloncillo Historical Society

C. S. Fly and Geronimo's surrender

The mini mule

1950's in Rodeo

The Southwest Research station

Dinner at the Rodeo Community Center

Rodeo New Mexico, Independence Day Celebrations

The 4th of July is here again, signaling the traditional start of the Monsoon season in the San Simon valley, the emergence of the Tarantulas to mate, and time to celebrate Independence day.  The Town of Rodeo traditionally has lots of festivities on the 4th starting with softball in the morning, the parade at 6:00 PM followed by a community dinner, cake auction, fireworks, and a dance.  Arriving about 5:30 PM I found a spot to park and walked into town.  Folks were parked along highway 80, some cooking out and many enjoying refreshments while awaiting the start of the parade.

There was a slight intermittent drizzle signaling the arrival of the monsoon season, but it did not dampen the spectators enthusiasm and the parade came off without a hitch.  Afterwards Highway 80 was reopened to traffic and everyone headed over to the community center for dinner, float prizes, the cake auction, and dance.  Another wonderful event in Rodeo, New Mexico's most western town.

The start of the parade in Rodeo

Mounted riders

Welcome to Rodeo New Mexico

Chiricahua Desert Museum's giant rattlesnake

Local bagpipe player

the local 4H club

Welcome to the land of OZ

Celebrating the designation of Jaguar habitat in the Peloncillo mountains

A WWII themed float

4th of July Celebrations in Rodeo, New Mexico's Most Western Town

Another 4th of July in Rodeo and as usual, an event to remember.  With only 3 paved roads in the several hundred square miles of the valley, Highway 80 being the only north/south paved road through the valley, it is only logical that the highway is closed every year in the town of Rodeo for the 4th of July celebrations.  The day started early pulling meat that had been slow cooking the previous night preparing for the community dinner, followed by a morning softball game in the park.  The afternoon brought parade preparations and arriving shortly after 5:00 PM the town was already filling.  Cars were rapidly filling up the open areas along both sides of Highway 80 in town.  At 6:00 PM the parade started with horses carrying the flags followed by the parade's grand marshal.  This was followed by floats of every description created by local inhabitants.  Rodeo Radio AM1590 (on the air once a year on the 4th) carried the parade description while floats made their way slowly along the highway.  The theme for this years parade was “anything goes” and was reflected in the variety of floats from a veterans float to unicorns, see images below.  Following the parade everyone gathered inside the Rodeo community center for dinner.  Slow cooked pulled beef with a savory barbeque sauce with beans and coleslaw was the fare, with additional meat being sold to raise funds for the community.  The traditional cake auction followed and then the evenings dance.  Local residents also took advantage of the break in the dry conditions for a fireworks display in the park.  Being the 4th, the traditional start of the monsoon season, I headed back to the Painted Pony Resort early in anticipation of rain.  The drive home was accompanied by a spectacular lightening displays from storms drifting down from the north and upon arrival it started to rain.   PPR picked up 0.96” throughout the night and the desert was alive with activity the next morning.  All the frogs were out calling for mates to take advantage of the ephemeral pools that form during the monsoon creating the next generation of frogs.  Overall it another great event created by the hardworking residents of the bootheel and southeastern Arizona.

The parade begins

Rodeo's flag bearer

Antelope in the parade

Butterfield stage line

Princess on a unicorn in Rodeo

Community center dinner

St. Patrick's Day in Portal, it's a Parade

Portal AZ's annual St. Patrick's Day parade took place today and the turnout included not only local residents from Portal, Rodeo, and around the San Simon Valley but campers from the campgrounds in Cave Creek Canyon also attended.  The Grand Marshal this year was Rick Beno from Arizona Sky Village and of course St. Patrick (who winters in Portal) was here.  And what would St. Patrick's Day be without some daytime astronomy.  A solar telescope was set up next to the Post Office to view the sun.

Parade dancing

The return parade lap

Solar astronomy at the parade

4th of July in Rodeo, New Mexico's Most Western Town

The 4th of July is celebrated across the nation and Rodeo New Mexico is no exception.  Located less than a mile from the Arizona state line, Rodeo sits in the middle of the San Simon Valley with the Chiricahua Mountains to the west and the Peloncillo mountains to the east.  This years parade, the 33rd, was held at 6:00 PM and as usual Highway 80 which runs the length of the valley was closed in Rodeo for the event.  Bill Cavaliere, local historian and rancher served as Grand Marshal while Howard Topoff from Portal announced the parade.  Following the parade a fund raising dinner, which provides student scholarships was held in the community center.  This was followed by a cake auction and an evening of dancing to a live band. Below is a time lapse video of the parade.

Portal Arizona's St. Patrick's Parade

Things are always a little behind schedule in the bubble and St. Patrick's Day celebrations were no exception.  St. Patrick's Day was on the 17th but Portal, not to be left out, celebrated the event Saturday morning with a parade and refreshments at the Myrtle Kraft Library in Portal Arizona.  Saturday mornings parade saw the Portal Rescue fire engine and ambulance as well as an entry from the Arizona Sky Village and a beautiful Porsche Roadster.  There was a Grand Marshal and of course a marching band.  The parade started down Rock House Road proceeding past the library and post office down to the Portal Peak Lodge.   Then the parade turned around and came back up the road finishing at the library where there were cookies and punch along with speeches, awards, and a good old fashioned sing a long.  Below are a few highlight photographs from the event.  Of course the spring weather was perfect and it was a great day for a parade.

Shamrock on Rock House Rd

The Grand Marshal in a mini Dreams carriage

St. Patrick

Marching band