May 2
- Hubbell Trading Post Auction of Native American Art
Paradise Valley, Ariz.
602-370-2875, website
This event has been referred to as Arizona’s best kept secret but continues to attract bidders from coast to coast. Selling more than 400 pieces of Navajo, Zuni, and puebloan tribal art, the auction provides significant support to the artists and their communities.
May 7–10
- Western Heritage Classic
Abilene, Texas
325-677-4376, website
If you want to know just how good the best working cowboys in the West are, this is the place. The Ranch Rodeo is a must, as it often features teams from the country’s most notable outfits; but be sure to check out the entertainment, poetry, and matched horse races, as well.
May 14–17
- Miles City Bucking Horse Sale
Miles City, Mont.
406-234-2890, website
For 65 years, Miles City has been giving contractors a chance to showcase their best bucking stock. With bull riding, bronc riding, and wild horse races, the Bucking Horse Sale is an inevitable good time.
May 15–16
- Yampa River Ranch Rodeo
Craig, Colo.
307-710-3133, website
Held in Craig, Colo., this rodeo is held at the Yampa River Ranch and hosted by Yampa River Ranch Rodeo of Colorado.
May 19–24
- Bishop Mule Days
Bishop, Calif.
760-872-4263, website
With the Eastern Sierra in the background, Bishop, Calif., comes to life every Memorial Day Weekend, offering more than 30,000 fans a parade of epic proportions, live country concerts, and the ultimate Mule Days event—the Packer’s Scramble, in which teams have to catch and saddle three horses, pack five mules, and navigate a course.
May 23–24
- Grand Opening at the New John Wayne Birthplace Museum
Winterset, Iowa
877-462-1044, website
Each year, this museum throws an astounding benefit party in honor of the Duke’s May 26 birthday. This year’s benefit has even more to celebrate as it also serves as the grand opening of the museum’s new space, featuring permanent exhibits, traveling exhibits, a theatre designed after Hollywood’s golden era, and a retail shop.
- Chuckwagon Gathering and Children’s Cowboy Festival
Oklahoma City, Okla.
405-478-2250, website
It doesn’t get any more family-friendly than this. For the 25th year, this festival will offer cowboy entertainment, chuckwagon cooking, and activities like rope making, flintknapping, and Native American storytelling.
May 30–31
- Rock’n Western Rendezvous and American Cowboy Experience Hall
Loveland, Colo.
Yep, that’s right—an Experience Hall with our name attached to it! This inaugural cowboy event has literally something for everyone. From a WRCA ranch rodeo to a professional BBQ contest, and an experience hall attended by exceptional Western craftsmen to an open-air country concert, the Rock’n Western Rendezvous is the brainchild of a team of people dedicated to preserving our Western heritage and cowboy way of life. We hope to see you there!