Cowtown: Experience New Jersey’s Surprising Piece of the Old West

When you hear the word “rodeo”, you might not think of New Jersey, but the Garden State is home to the longest running weekly professional rodeo in the country: the Cowtown Rodeo.

The Cowtown Rodeo is in Pilesgrove, NJ, about eight miles east of the Delaware Memorial Bridge and gets underway at 7:30 PM on Saturday nights, rain or shine, and usually runs until about 10. According to the rodeo’s website: Started back in 1929, Cowtown Rodeo has stood the test of time... remaining true to our traditions of the Old West and bringing each of you a taste of western ranching that is an integral part of American history. We are the longest running weekly professional rodeo in the USA and we hope you make plans to stop in and visit us in 2021 -- our 67th consecutive year!

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Some of the events you’ll see at the rodeo include bull riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, tie down roping, team roping, and barrel racing.

Tickets for the general admission seating is $25 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. As a bonus, parking is free and tailgating is permitted.

The rodeo’s roots are in Woodstown, where the first rodeo was held in 1929 as part of the Salem County Fair; it move to its current location in 1967. The rodeo was started, and is still run, by the Harris family. The rodeo season runs through September with the last performance this season on Sep. 25.