AUGUSTA — Augusta is a town of just a few hundred full-time residents. But on rodeo weekend, Augusta balloons up to a few thousand people.
Festivities for the 88th Augusta American Legion Rodeo begin Friday, culminating with Sunday's main rodeo performance.
“While the rodeo is really the wildest one-day rodeo in the west, here in Augusta, we really want people to come up and spend the entire weekend with us,” said Tia Troy, representative for the Augusta Rodeo Committee. “The fun kicks off Friday afternoon, and it really rolls all the way to Sunday evening. So, come on out to Augusta, and let’s rodeo.”
In addition to Troy’s role with the rodeo committee, she also owns Lightning Bug coffee shop and boutique on Main Street.
“Rodeo is one of our biggest weekends of the year,” said Troy. “They really come for an entire weekend experience, and so that helps all of our businesses all along Main Street, from our coffee shops, to our bars, to our boutiques, to our antique stores. All of them are really going to benefit from the folks who are coming to Augusta to spend the rodeo with us.”
And just across the street from Troy’s coffee shop is Allen’s Manix Store, whose owner of 51 years said she’s used to Augusta’s rodeo weekend bringing an influx of business.
“I have seen a lot of rodeo,” said store owner Susan Ford. “And this week will be busy, and it already feels like it’s going to be busier than most. Lots of traffic already going through — not necessarily for the rodeo, just for the whole area and going to Glacier Park, Yellowstone. So, it’s going to be very active.”
And for Ford, that extra activity means buying extra merchandise to stock her shelves.
“When I shop for the store, getting ready for rodeo, I have a lot of extra orders that we get in,” said Ford. “And of course, because you sell a lot of beer, so we get in a large amount of that. And living this far out, they only come every two weeks, so we have to order for not just rodeo but also we go right into Fourth of July. So, a lot of beer is in my backroom right now.”
