Willits Frontier Days

Festival June 20-July 5, 2025
Main Street
Rec Grove Park
Rodeo Grounds, Jack Tharpe Arena
Willits, CA
willitsfrontierdays.com

Frontier Days Events 

Willits Rodeo & Frontier Days Events
Team Roping
Barrel Racing
Horseshoe Contest
Black Bart Gunfighters
Cowboy Poetry
Gymkhana
Hometown Celebration
Horse Show
Junior Rodeo 

Hometown Celebration June 20, 2025, 5-9 p.m.
Main Street - Downtown Willits
Free

Horseshow  June 22, 2025, 8 a.m.
Jack Tharp Arena, free
Sweetheart Horsemanship judging during show

Run for Sweetheart Truck & Tractor Pulls June 27, 2025, 6 p.m.
Jack Tharp Arena
$25, age 12 and under $15

Street Dance & Carnival  June 27, 2025 
Following Truck Pulls & Rodeo Rodeo Grounds, Street Dance at tennis courts features Joe Peter Band, Free!
Carnival opens June 27, 2025  Next to Rodeo Grounds on old Ball Field

June 29, 2025, 6 p.m. Sweetheart Crowned
Rodeo Grounds
$25

CCPRA Professional Rodeo July 3, 2025, 7 p.m
Tharp Arena
$25-30, age 12 and under $15

Horseshoe Contest July 4, 2025, 10 a.m.
Rec Grove Park
$75 entry fee 

Parade  "Traveling through Generations" July 4, 2025, 11 a.m.
Main Street - Downtown Willits

Western Barbecue July 4, 2025, 12 p.m.
Rec Grove Park
$25

Country Music Rodeola July 4, 2025, 12 p.m.
Rec Grove Park
Free!

Water Fights July 4, 2025, 4 p.m.
Fire House
Free

CCPR Rodeo July 4, 2025, 7 p.m.
Rockin' M Rodeos, Jack Tharp Arena
with the Diablo Ladies
$25

Lions Cowboy Breakfast July  5, 2025, 7 a.m.
Rec Grove Park
$15, age 12 and under $10

Junior Rodeo July  5, 2025, 8 a.m.
Jack Tharp Arena
$10, age 12 and under $5
Contact: Marcy Barry: 272-5395

Bulls & Broncs July 5, 2025, 7 p.m.
Jack Tharp Arena
$15, 12 and under $10

Locals  Team Roping
Barrel Racing

Willits, a frontier kind of town in Mendocino County, hosts the oldest continuous rodeo in California each year in July. The CCPRA rodeo is one element of the fun, however, that includes a Gymkhana, Junior Rodeo, Locals Only Team Barrel Racing and Roping Contests and Western themed entertainment, food and more.

Frontier Days Timeline

1926 Willits Frontier founded
1927 a Sweetheart, Marie Schloegel, wore the crown
1929 — Ladies in hoop skirts and gentlemen with whiskers danced at the Wild West Frontier Days Dance. Lola Butts was the new Sweetheart.
1935 — No one could forget when the The Jumping Steer — Monte H. Rigar on a Texas longhorn leaped over an automobile! There were two parades and dancing in the park.
1938 — World Champion Trick Roper for 4 U.S. Presidents, Sam Garrett,  performed an exciting show.
1943 — WWII ... State of California and Western Defense Command granted permission to host The Frontier Days festival, but with dim-out the carnival was not lit. Food rationing meant there was no abundance of food to be served.
1944 — Dim-out was lifted.
1966 — Frontier Days committee discussed the possibility of the Willits Rotary Club taking over and not having a parade; it didn't happen, and things went on as usual.
1971 — Riding his Palomino in his beautiful silver attire as Don Gaspar de Portola, Mike Desiano added a Spanish flavor to the parade.

Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.