Looking for a taste of the West before the Rodeo kicks off July 11?

On Saturday, the 16th annual Pikes Peak or Bust rodeo is hosting family-friendly events that offer something for everyone.

First up is a family 5K run at 7:30 a.m., followed by a Kids Stick Horse Race at 8:45 a.m. But it’s the 64th Annual Kiddie Dress-Up Review that organizers hope will encourage a new generation of ropers and riders.

It’s a tradition that dates back to 1948. John Gardino, 79, a former bareback rider and calf-roper himself, joined in whole-heartedly nearly five decades ago and has been giving out special sentimental buckles to winners ever since.

“I just jumped in around ‘63 and thought, ‘Know what, I think I’ll start getting some buckles made,’” Gardino said.

Gardino’s children and now grandchildren have been participating ever since. Two of his granddaughters, Heather, 7, and Hayley, 6, won 1st and 2nd place respectively in the Working Cowgirl category last year.

“My two little grandkids are into (rodeo) real strong,” Gardino said.

He stopped judging when his kids started to participate, but that hasn’t stopped him from doing everything he can for the contest.

To Gardino, who grew up on a ranch in New Mexico, the dress-up contest is more than just fun — it’s an opportunity to involve kids in a lifestyle that he feels is beginning to be lost.

“This is not an agricultural town anymore,” Gardino said. “We’ve got to remember that ranching, that all this was part of history.”

It’s a cause that he’s fighting for within Colorado Springs, but in the meantime the contest may be spreading to rodeos in Reno and San Francisco as well.

Gardino explains that he’s been talking with representatives from the rodeos held in Reno and at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, who are interested in starting up dress-up contests of their own.

At the Review on Saturday, kids can dress up in old Western style and show off their costumes, with the top three in each category winning a place on the Western Spirit float in the Parade on Tuesday evening and individual prizes: a buckle for 1st, a cowboy hat for 2nd, and a tote bag with the rodeo’s logo for 3rd.

The Dress-up Review is open to children ages 3 to 12 and has five categories: Novelty Boy, Novelty Girl, Working Cowboy, Working Cowgirl and Rodeo Arena.

Gardino hopes a large crowd will turn out for the special event.

“It’s so neat — the mothers really go all out and build costumes for these kids. I just love it, I just love doing it,” Gardino said. “Once you see what’s happening, you won’t forget it.”

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Contact Lauren Fellers: 636-0198.