Rodeo to showcase Colorado’s historic cowboy and cowgirl culture
Residents and visitors to Colorado Springs know how to “grab the bull by the horns” and enjoy their free time with rodeo-centric activity!
From the annual NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo to the Penrose Heritage Museum and ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy, the heritage and tradition of the West are on display year-round.
It was Spencer Penrose who brought rodeo to Colorado Springs, as part of his drive to attract visitors to Colorado Springs. As a result of his efforts, Colorado Springs has celebrated cowboys, ranchers, and the pioneering families of Colorado’s past for many, many decades. The Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo carries on Penroses’ cultural and economic vision for the community.
While “Pikes Peak or Bust!” was the battle cry of prospectors during the Cripple Creek boom, the new brand for the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo has proudly added the ‘National Finals Rodeo Open’ to their event as the chosen home of the National Circuit Finals. The 2026 NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, now in its 85th year, showcases the elite sport of rodeo like no other event! The family-friendly competition is, in a nutshell, a cultural phenomenon that embodies the spirit of the American West.
Champions in the making!
You can feel the competition in the air. These professional athletes have come to win. They will be leaving it all out in the arena and watching this sport in person is like no other.
This Rodeo honors local military; shows patriotism; allows people to step out in style (Western style, that is!), and wrangle some food, drinks, and souvenirs; and channel their inner dance-country music performer! Remember there are pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting, rides and mutton bustin’ for the younger set, too.
The NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo shows the competitive grit of this professional sport
This year’s Peak performance (pun intended!) will be held from July 14-18 at the Norris Penrose Event Center at 1045 Lower Gold Camp Road. More than 200 top professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls from each of the 12 U.S. circuits, plus the Canadian Circuit, and National Champion from Mexico will be competing to be named PRCA Circuit Champions … with their eye on the prize: payouts over $1 million!
Since 1946, proceeds from the Rodeo have supported local military and their families. The U.S. Air Force Academy, NORAD/USNORTHCOM, U.S. SPACECOM, Schriever Space Force Base, Peterson Space Force Base and Fort Carson all call Colorado Springs home.
NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Schedule of Events
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 – 7:30 p.m. – U.S. Army SMDC & MDA Night, Sponsored by Omni Federal
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 – 7:30 p.m. – Fort Carson/4th Infantry Division Night, Sponsored by Northwestern Mutual
Thursday, July 16, 2026 – 7:30 p.m. – First Responders & 302nd Airlift Wing Night, Sponsored by UCHealth
Friday, July 17, 2026 – 12:30 p.m. – Military Family Day and 105h Special Forces Group, Sponsored by Tractor Supply Co.
BOGO tickets are offered to all active-duty military for this matinee.
7:30 p.m. – Space Night, Sponsored by KBR
Saturday, July 18, 2026
12:30 p.m. – U.S. Air Force Academy, Sponsored by USAA
7:30p.m. – NORAD/USNORTHCOMM Night, Sponsored by Lockheed Martin
Grounds open at 10 a.m. for matinee performances and 4 p.m. for evening performances.
If you’re purchasing tickets online (and it’s recommended that you do, direct from the source!), you can get parking passes for parking lots on the grounds. You can also skip the traffic and park in a free garage and hop on a free shuttle. This will allow you to avoid the lines and get you to the Rodeo and returned to your car lickety-split!
Lasso learning experiences!
The Penrose Heritage Museum unites the legacy of Julie and Spencer Penrose, regional history, transportation and motorsports. Here, you can see a hat with the signatures of Spencer Penrose and a rodeo star, a replica of a rodeo cup from the first rodeo, 30 carriages from the 1940s to 1910s — some of which transported the couple as they went about their busy business and social lives, antique firearms, 15 race cars that competed in the Race to the Clouds (one of the oldest motorsport events in America), as well as vintage vehicles, and historic photos, film footage and personal, Indian and native artifacts.
The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy, the only museum in the world devoted to the sport, educates the public about rodeo: its history and the impact it has had on Western American culture. Within its walls are rodeo notables of the past and present … which serve as an inspiration for the future of the sport. It is a “house” of appreciation for the American cowboy and the sport of professional rodeo, complete with memorabilia, an extensive photo collection, a 3D and media treasures. Visitors can view a collection of beads and belts, bits, boots, cartoons, chaps, collars, cuffs, paintings, pins, posters, saddles, spurs, sculpture, and items from inductees like buckles, plaques and trophies.
The Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun offers an adventure in architecture, views and landscaping. Admission to the zoo includes access to the 114-foot Shrine, standing 1,500-2,000 ft. above the zoo at an altitude of 8,500 ft. Architect Charles Thomas styled the tower it is in the style of a European castle. It is constructed from Cheyenne Mountain granite from a quarry in Colorado Springs. Two hundred pounds of steel and 30 wagonloads of cement hold the structure, completed in under three years, together. It pays homage to the sun and to the late cowboy-trick roper-actor-philosopher-humorist for which it is named, with an exhibition that documents his “rags to riches” story. The Shrine literally glows at sunrise and sunset. Small wonder that it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places (since Nov. 1994).
Outside, binoculars bring distant points of interest in Colorado Springs into view at close range, from Garden of the Gods to Rampart Range Road, Corley Mountain Highway, Old Cripple Creed Stage Road, Pikes Peak, Cheyenne Canyon, Cheyenne Mountain, the City of Colorado Springs, Cheyenne Lake, Broadmoor Ice Palace, Black Forest, Broadmoor Hotel and Golf Course, The Plains-Farming and Cattle Raising, Fountain River, Fort Carson, The Myron Stratton Home, Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and the Town of Fountain.
“So many locations in Colorado Springs bear the imprint of Julie and Spencer Penrose. So many things were built simultaneously, as the couple developed an extended network of attractions, events and institutions, including the Pikes Peak Highway, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs Fine Art Center, and Penrose Hospital,” said Sarah Woods, vice president of collections, El Pomar Foundation. “Their legacy is still deeply felt and the great work they started continues, through events and expansion of what they established in their lives: The Broadmoor Golf Course hosted the Senior Open in 2025; the annual “Run to the Shrine” event footrace attracts runners the world over, and this summer, a newly constructed International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe will be opening at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.”
Mark your calendar
There’s an event prior to the NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo that you won’t want to miss: the Pikes Peak or Bust Parade on Saturday, July 11. 2026 Girl of the West Kaylee Gripentrog will be the Grand Marshal! Visit https://pikespeakorbustparade.com/ to get your ticket for the reviewing stands or enter your child for the Lil ‘Cowpoke Stick Horse Races, or just head downtown and watch it for free!
Anniversaries Abound in 2026!
Make 2026 the year that you visit Colorado. The Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo is celebrating 85 years, the state is celebrating 150 years, and rodeo turns 200 … all in the year that America is 250 years old.