Buckle up: the Lil’wat Nation Open Rodeo is riding back into Mount Currie this May long weekend.
The two-day rodeo runs May 18 and 19 at the Lillooet Lake Rodeo Grounds, with the action getting underway at 1 p.m. each day. From bull riding to barrel racing and team roping, the event brings together seasoned rodeo competitors, local youth and community members for one of the most spirited weekends of the season.
Hosted by the Lil’wat Nation, the event features both major and minor rodeo events. Entry fees range from $50 to $75 per event, plus admin and stock charges, with thousands in added prize money. Each major event will have $3,000 added, while youth competitors (16 and under) will see $1,000 added per event. The peewee barrel race (10 and under) includes an extra $500 prize pot.
All junior and peewee riders are required to wear helmets.
Saturday, May 17 features a full slate of pre-rodeo festivities. The parade rolls out at 11 a.m. from Rancheree Street to Ull’us, followed by a 1 p.m. “Fun Day Rodeo” filled with classic community games—think pie-eating contests, footraces, watermelon madness and the “cowboy hustle.”
Admission to the rodeo is $10 per person. Kids under 10 and Elders aged 65 and up get in free. Evening dances on Saturday and Sunday invite attendees to “dance under the stars” for $10 a night.
Organizers are also weaving community awareness into the weekend: rodeo-goers are encouraged to wear green on Sunday, May 18 in support of mental health, and red on Monday, May 19 in honour of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIW).
