California note
Salinas' Big Week grew from a local wild west show
The California Rodeo Salinas began as a 1911 wild west show and grew into Big Week, one of the city's strongest civic traditions.
Salinas is farm country, Steinbeck country, and also rodeo country. The city’s rodeo tradition began in 1911 as a Wild West Show at the old Sherwood Race Track grounds. It lasted a full week, which is how the local phrase Big Week took hold.
The early event was rooted in ranch work and local skill. Cowboys and cowgirls rode bucking horses, and the show quickly drew crowds. By 1912, about 4,000 people came to watch. The rider list included Jesse Stahl, a famous African American cowboy whose story is an important part of rodeo history.
Within a few years, the event was known as the California Rodeo. The night parade, El Colmado del Rodeo, added a downtown celebration around the arena events. In 1924, the rodeo moved into a more permanent home at Sherwood Park, with a large grandstand, track, barns, and bucking chutes.
That is why Big Week feels so woven into the city. It ties Salinas to ranching, horses, parades, downtown pride, and the wider Salinas Valley. Even if you are not a rodeo regular, the story gives the tradition a fuller shape.
Where to see it
Salinas Sports Complex and rodeo events during California Rodeo Salinas.
Sources
Sources for this story
Reviewed July 2, 2026
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