This weekend you'll find something very different out in Crete at the 6 Guns Ranch & Arena. That is where the Illinois Gay Rodeo Association (ILGRA) is holding their annual charity rodeo.
This year the rodeo will raise money to support the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Vital Bridges, and the Howard Brown Health Center.
The rodeo brings in competitors from across the country to compete in events that are broken into four categories. Rough Stock events like bull riding and chute dogging feature the competitor riding or wrestling an unbroken steer, bull or horse. Speed Events like pole bending and barrel racing are competed on horseback and are timed. The Roping Events allow the competitor the opportunity to show off his lariat skills. The final category of events are the Camp Events. These are events like goat dressing, steer decorating, and the wild drag race. They all have an element of humor and are always crowd favorites.
In addition to the rodeo performance, there is also food, drink, and dancing. And for those of you who can't imagine spending a weekend without shopping, there are even vendor booths hawking hats and T-shirts and such.
The rodeo is the culmination of a full year's worth of work and fundraising by ILGRA. It's well worth the trek down to Crete. Besides, there are certainly worse ways to spend your weekend than in the presence of humpy, hot, sweaty cowboys.
Windy City Rodeo will be held August 28 and 29 at 6 Guns Ranch & Arena, 26926 S. State Line Road, Crete, Illinois (about 35 miles from Chicago). Admission is $10 per day. It is a rain or shine event. Some bars are sponsoring bus package deals which include admission and transportation to and from Crete.
Further information is available online at www.ilgra.com or call the Rodeo Hotline at 312.409.3835.
