Bluffdale Old West Days is the celebration of a small, horse-country city at the south end of Salt Lake County, and the city's own motto for it sets the tone: where kids can be kids, cowboys are cowboys, and everyone gets in on the fun. It has a professional rodeo, a parade, a car show, a family concert with fireworks, a musical and a family festival. The one thing to know before planning a trip from Utah Valley is that in 2026 it did not happen in a single week.
Two blocks, twelve days apart
The 2026 festival, themed around America's 250th anniversary, ran in two separate pieces. The rodeo took three nights, July 16 to 18, at the Bluffdale Equestrian Park. The rest of Old West Days then ran from July 30 to August 8, ending with the parade. A family that planned around the parade and expected to catch the rodeo the same week would have missed it by twelve days.
Whether the city keeps that arrangement is its call each year, so take the dates from Bluffdale's calendar rather than assuming one block.
The rodeo
The Old West Days rodeo is sanctioned by the Rocky Mountain Professional Rodeo Association, the same association behind the Draper Days rodeo, and it runs at the Bluffdale Equestrian Park, 2400 West 14400 South. Each night in 2026 followed the same pattern:
- 5:30 p.m.: gates open, with food trucks
- 6:30 p.m.: the patriotic pre-party, with mutton bustin' and a breed show of Bluffdale's horses
- After the pre-party: the rodeo events
- To finish: a fireworks finale
Children aged 5 to 6 and 7 to 8 could register at the arena each night for the stick-pony races, and the city asked spectators to come in their best red, white and blue western wear.
The ten days
The main block, from July 30 to August 8, stacked a different event onto nearly every day:
- July 30 to August 3: Bluffdale Arts' production of the musical The Lightning Thief
- July 31 and August 1: the Old West Days pickleball tournament, open to all skill levels
- Tuesday, August 4: Party in the Park
- Wednesday, August 5: Youth Night, with activities for teenagers
- Thursday, August 6: the Senior Dinner and the Lions Club Car Show
- Friday, August 7: a kids market for young entrepreneurs, then a family concert and a fireworks show
- Saturday, August 8: the parade and the family festival
The parade and the family festival
The Old West Days parade is the finale. In 2026 it ran from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 8, and rolled straight into a family festival at Bluffdale City Main Park, with inflatables, games, entertainment, vendors and live music.
Getting there from Utah County
Bluffdale sits right at the Salt Lake County line, just over the Point of the Mountain from Lehi, and OpenStreetMap routing puts the Bluffdale Equestrian Park about 31 miles and 39 minutes from downtown Provo without traffic. For the rest of the south end of the valley, see Things to Do in Herriman and Riverton and Things to Do in Draper, Utah.
Practical notes
- Check which block you want. In 2026 the rodeo and the parade were twelve days apart.
- The rodeo nights start early. Gates opened at 5:30 p.m., and the pre-party is the part children love.
- There are two chances at fireworks. The rodeo ends with a fireworks finale, and the Friday family concert ends with another show.
- Dress the part. The city encourages red, white and blue western wear at the rodeo.
Related Guides
- Things to Do in Herriman and Riverton
- Salt Lake County From Utah Valley
- Draper Days
- Riverton Town Days
- Taylorsville Dayzz
- Butlerville Days
- The Lehi Round-Up
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Bluffdale Old West Days?
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