Parade, All Settler’s Day Reunion Kicks Off Rodeo Week in Vinita
Great Tradition
Kicking off the Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo with a parade is one of Vinita's greatest traditions.
Musical Entertainment
The Foust Family, a local bluegrass and gospel band, are schedule to perform Wednesday afternoon at the All Settler's Day Reunion.
The town of Vinita is proud of its heritage and this week that pride will be on display as it celebrates one of its greatest traditions — the 81st annual Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo.
The community kicks off rodeo week with the Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo Parade and All Settler’s Day Reunion on Wednesday, Aug. 23.
The parade’s theme is Wild Wild West so it’s a good bet that there will be plenty of cowboying up as the parade gets under way at 11 a.m., especially for any of the parade entries vying for the “Best Use of Theme” award.
The streets will be filled with floats, horses and riders, cheerleaders, Shriners, horse-drawn wagons and the Vinita High School marching band as the 81st annual Will Rogers Rodeo Parade winds its way through downtown Vinita.
Sponsored by the Vinita Area Chamber of Commerce, the parade begins at North Park at 11 a.m. The parade will proceed south on Scraper Street to Illinois Avenue, then east on Illinois Avenue to Wilson Street, south on Wilson to South Avenue, west to Scraper Street and then north to South Park.
Last year’s parade featured 105 entries. Organizers are expecting more than 100 entries again this year, so the parade should last around an hour.
Line up for the parade starts at 10 a.m. Awards will be presented in several categories, including “Best Use of Theme.” Judging will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 10:40 a.m. in North Park.
Longtime Vinita residents Jim Finnell and Kenneth Branstetter will serve as the parade’s grand marshals.
“Kenneth is 94. He’s a longtime resident of Vinita and he has hardly ever missed the rodeo or parade,” said Tonya Moorhead, executive director of the Vinita Area Chamber of Commerce. “Jim’s mother came to the parade when she was pregnant with him, so you could say that Jim has been coming since before he was born. The only time he missed the parade was when he was serving in the Army during the Vietnam War.”
The reigning Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Calli Newman will also be featured during the rodeo parade. Newman is a senior at Rogers State University in Claremore. She will represent Oklahoma at the Miss Rodeo America pageant in December 2017, during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Vinita’s-own Shyanne Marcotte is the 2017 Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Princess. A member of the Oklahoma Junior High School Rodeo Association, Marcotte was the 2014 Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo Princess.
Contestants in the queen, teen and princess Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo royalty contests will also be appearing in the rodeo parade. They will also attend the All Settler’s Day Reunion.
The 2017 queen contestants are Brenna Johnson and Taige LaForest. The 2017 teen contestants are Madison LeeAnn Butcher, Ann Grue, Ericka Gean Marang and Charity Pulliam. Competing in the 2017 princess contest are Reagan Leemasters and Jadyn Grace McDonald.
After the last rider and float has passed by, everyone is invited to head over to the Community Center at the Craig County Fairgrounds for the All Settler’s Day Reunion.
All Settler’s Day Reunion
A tradition that has been around longer than the rodeo and parade, the All Settler’s Day Reunion is an afternoon of friendship, music and food. It’s all about getting together with neighbors, friends and old classmates, and having a chance to sit down and catch up with each other.
The All Settler’s Day Reunion is from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Local auctioneer J.B. Robison will serve as master of ceremonies.
Local restaurants have donated food to be served at the reunion. Everything is free, organizers say, until the food runs out. There will also be food trucks at the fairgrounds.
Musical entertainment will be provided by The Foust Family bluegrass and gospel band, Daniel Day and Joey Lair, as well as Charkey Christian.
Door prizes will be given away and prizes will be awarded for the oldest settler, longest married couple and more.
The parade and All Settler’s Day Reunion are just the start of the cowboy fun in Vinita. The 81st annual Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo starts Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. and runs through Saturday.
Sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the rodeo attracts some of the best cowboys and cowgirls on the circuit. Every evening is filled with action-packed events, making it a fun event for the whole family.
For more information on the rodeo parade and All Settler’s Day Reunion, visit the Vinita Area Chamber of Commerce website at www.vinita.com and for more information on the 81st annual Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo, visit www.willrogersmemorialrodeo.com.
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