The Wasatch Back may be growing but Fourth of July Celebrations in Small Town USA are still alive and well.
In fact, Oakley City Mayor Zane Woolstenhulme said his town is the place to be for the holiday weekend. “The Oakley Fourth of July celebration has been going on for 88 years. And I've maintained if you haven't seen the Oakley rodeo, you've really never seen a rodeo.”
The Annual Oakley Rodeo is a four-day Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association-sanctioned event. If you’re not lucky enough to have snagged tickets to the sold-out event, Woolstenhulme said there’s a small chance you can find someone selling their tickets at the gate or ticket office. There will also be a fireworks show above the fairgrounds all four nights.
And let’s talk about a fun, or not-so-fun, event, depending on your perspective. “At 7 a.m., we have a Kids Fun Run and a 5K," said Woolstenhulme. "I don’t know what’s fun about a run but that’s what they call it.”
Woolstenhulme said the Oakley Junior Rodeo and Kids Activities at 1 p.m. is a popular and free event where the younger kids have chicken races, as well as sheep and steer riding.
“And then you have aspiring bronc riders and bull riders getting their first opportunity to get on a sheep or a calf," said Woolstenhulme. "They’re going to go out and buck for a few minutes and they get their adrenaline up that way.”
Meanwhile, the neighboring town of Henefer will host a 5K Fun Run, a Bike-a-Thon, a parade and a Fourth of July concert in the park followed by fireworks.
And, not to be forgotten: The Great Henefer Rodeo Club Potato Race.
Henefer Rodeo Club President Shauna Garn said this longtime tradition is a great time for both participants and spectators.
“It’s on horseback. You have willow that is sharpened so it could get a little dangerous. And in the middle, you've got a tire on either end of the arena and you have a team so it's almost like soccer. So, when you say ‘start,’ you've got your two goalies at your tires, the rest of the team goes to the middle, they pick up a potato with their willow, and then they have to get it in the tire of the opposing team.”
The potato race has a $20 entry fee, teams are formed at the event and Garn said they have a B.Y.O.H. policy. For the uninitiated, that means “bring-your-own-horse” because this is, after all, Small Town USA.
