The Ellensburg Rodeo opens every Labor Day weekend along with the Kittitas County Fair in Ellensburg, Washington. Started in 1923, the Ellensburg Rodeo has grown from a local competition among ranch hands to the Professional event of today with over 500 contestants and prize money in excess of $250,000.[1] Within the Pacific Northwest, the Ellensburg Rodeo is second in size only to the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, and is considered to be one of America's top 25 rodeos.[2] The Ellensburg Rodeo was inducted to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2020.[3]