The 83rd annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo returns this week, bringing thousands of people to the Central Coast for five days of rodeo action, specialty acts and community tradition. While fans see the performances inside the arena, months of preparation happen behind the scenes to make the event possible.
“We have about 500 volunteers that run the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo,” said Johnna McGuire, social media director for the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo. “We’ve been boots on the ground for about two weeks now.”
One of the biggest focuses leading up to opening night is the arena dirt itself.
Joey Silva, arena and grounds manager, said maintaining the rodeo arena has become both a science and a labor of love. Since taking over the role in 2018, Silva says he has worked to improve the arena footing by testing the soil, adjusting sand and clay ratios, and monitoring moisture levels to help keep horses and riders safe.
“We actually did a soil sample, sent it back east to a lab, and they analyzed it and told us what was wrong with it,” Silva said.
Silva said the work has paid off over the years, attracting top competitors to Santa Maria.
“We’ve gone to having cowboys that wouldn’t show up because the ground was bad, to having more and more show up,” Silva said. “We have the top barrel racers coming down that have $3,000, $4,000 horses, and now they’re not worried about them going out and slipping and injuring themselves.”
This year’s rodeo will also feature specialty charro performances from the Garcilazo family.
Tomas Garcilazo, a specialty act performer, says preserving culture and tradition is at the center of their performances.
“My mission is to preserve and show my heritage with pride and to share the culture to the world,” Garcilazo said.
Garcilazo performs alongside his wife and son, Louis, who is now the fourth generation in the family carrying on the tradition.
“I really looked up to my dad a lot, and I’ve always dreamed of being like him one day,” Louis said.
McGuire says the rodeo continues to be an important part of Santa Maria’s identity.
“Rodeo is all about tradition,” McGuire said. “It’s about tradition and honoring God and country and family.”
Elks Recreation President Pete Sterling says it is those family connections and community roots that have kept the event going for more than eight decades.
"Santa Maria wouldn't be Santa Maria without the rodeo," Sterling said.
The Santa Maria Elks Rodeo begins Wednesday night with Extreme Bulls and continues through Sunday at the Elks Event Center. Organizers encourage people to purchase tickets through the official Elks Recreation website to avoid third-party markups.
