Clovis readies for 112th rodeo, parade and community events this week

The 112th Clovis Rodeo is set to turn Old Town and downtown Clovis into one of Fresno County’s busiest corridors, with free parking in the west lot off Clovis Avenue, a free shuttle from Sierra Vista Mall every 20 minutes and a Saturday parade that begins at 9:30 a.m.

The week starts with a blood drive Monday and Tuesday, then the official rodeo opens Wednesday, April 22, with organizers marking Salute to Our Veterans Day. The daily schedule lists a 2 p.m. PRCA rodeo performance and a 5 p.m. Coors Light after party, while the rodeo grounds also will host a Special Kids Rodeo in partnership with Break the Barriers.

For families deciding whether to go, the pricing is straightforward: tickets range from $28 to $46, and concerts are included at no extra charge. This year’s lineup brings Corey Kent, Josh Ross and Shane Profitt to Clovis, adding another draw for the crowds that usually spill between the Clovis Rodeo Grounds, downtown restaurants and the blocks around the parade route.

The parade remains one of the event’s biggest civic showcases. It is built around schools, service organizations, western riders, youth groups, businesses, marching bands, horse-drawn vehicles, mounted groups, novelty acts and themed floats. Jeff Witte will serve as the 2026 Grand Marshal, leading a route that also comes with a practical constraint: parade entries must stay under 14 feet because of a power line across Clovis Avenue.

Behind the pageantry is a long-running volunteer operation. The Clovis Rodeo says it began in 1914 as a community festival started by the Clovis Women’s Club, and that the 1921 Clovis Day celebration was the first time local cowboys officially conducted a rodeo event. Today, the organization says it is an all-volunteer nonprofit with more than 700 volunteer members and that it gives more than $400,000 a year to local organizations, including 4-H, FFA, Clovis schools, Clovis Police, Make-A-Wish, Break the Barriers, Boy Scouts of America and Valley Children’s Hospital.

That mix of street traffic, ticket sales, vendors and volunteer labor is what makes rodeo week matter well beyond the arena. By Saturday, when the parade rolls through downtown and the crowds settle in for another round at the grounds, Clovis will once again be selling its western identity block by block.