Hamel Rodeo to Return to Corcoran for 37th Year
Rodeo is fun tradition
A bull rider attempts to make the 8 second buzzer at the 2016 Hamel Rodeo. This year’s rodeo is July 6-9 at the Corcoran Lions Park. Photo by Dick Squire.
Hamel, Minn. (June 6, 2017) – When the calendar flips over to July, you know it’s time for the Hamel Rodeo & Bull Riding Bonanza.
The Hamel Rodeo, July 6-9, is a tradition in the area, drawing families and friends together for the biggest professional rodeo in the state of Minnesota.
It’s bulls and broncs, cowboys, cowgirls, and all the pageantry and tradition of the Western World. But it’s so much more than that.
For an Elk River, Minn. man, the rodeo is the highlight of the season. “It’s the best part of the summer,” said Dr. Kevin Voller, a doctor of veterinary medicine at Anoka Equine Veterinary Services. He estimates he has been to at least one night of rodeo for the past twenty years. “It’s just a tremendous time. It’s really well put together and well organized. Everybody has a grand time.”
A veterinarian is on duty at the Hamel Rodeo for each rodeo performance, and Dr. Voller has done the bulk of the work there the past two decades. He loves it. “I enjoy the atmosphere, the rodeo, and the people.”
When fans attend the Hamel Rodeo, they’re doing more than just being entertained. The rodeo is a fundraiser for four charities: the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department, the John Pohlker American Legion Post, the Heinzen-Ditter VFW and the Hamel Lions Club. Since the rodeo began in 1981, over $1.8 million has been given back to the community.
Tickets range in price from $10 to $18 and are available online at HamelRodeo.org, at the Farmers State Bank of Hamel, at Pleasant Hills Saddle Shops, and at the gate.
The rodeo is held at Corcoran Lions Park and begins at 7:30 pm on July 6-9. A family day matinee is held at 1 pm on July 8. For more information, call 763.478.6611 or visit HamelRodeo.org.