The countdown is continuing for the 64th Annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo, with tickets available for a special youth performance and the launch of a military appreciation effort.

The 64th Elks Rodeo will run from Thursday to Sunday at the Santa Maria Elks/Unocal Event Center.

Organizers of Thursday morning's mini rodeo say they have a few openings for youngsters from preschool to third grade who are interested in attending but who are not enrolled in one of the pre-school or school groups who have already been invited.

The mini rodeo is a shorter version of the official performance and is geared toward youth. It occurs the morning of the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo's opening night.

Youth interested in attending can visit any McDonald's Restaurant from Lompoc to Atascadero and pick up a free ticket allowing them to attend the mini rodeo.

The event will include famed skydiver Mark Schlatter and rodeo specialty acts performing.

High-school rodeo contestants will compete in a variety of events and show off their competitive skills for the children.

Advertisement

More than 7,000 pre-invited children, preschoolers to third-graders, from schools in Orcutt, Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Nipomo, Vandenberg, Lompoc, Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Los Alamos and Shell Beach will attend.

Each attendee will receive a small American flag to display during the event and a special Mini Rodeo Fun Book with entertaining but educational activities along with special discounts and coupons.

In other rodeo news:

n Tickets continue to be sold for all rodeo performances. The first two are at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, with the others at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Thursday night is family night, when youth ages 6 and under get in free with an adult.

Ticket prices vary for each performance, with options for general admission, box seats and reserved seats.

For rodeo tickets, call 922-6006.

For all other events (Friday night's dance and Saturday night's banquet), call 925-4125.

n Free admission to a rodeo performance is being offered to military members and their dependents, courtesy of Comcast.

One hour prior to each performance, free tickets will be distributed to active-duty personnel and their dependents, on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

A current active military identification must be shown. Dependents of active-duty members are also eligible, without the service member being present, provided they show their active-duty ID card. (Parking not included).

May 29, 2007