Upcoming dates
Every July, in the second week of the month, Nephi turns into a rodeo town. The Ute Stampede has been held there since 1934, and in 2026 it marked its 92nd year: four nights of professional rodeo at the Juab County Fairgrounds, a carnival, two parades down Main Street, and a craft show, car show and pancake breakfast around them. Its organizers call it one of Utah's largest celebrations. Nephi is about 45 minutes south of Provo on I-15, which makes it an easy evening from anywhere in Utah Valley.
The basics
- When: the second week of July. In 2026 the rodeo ran four nights, Wednesday, July 8, through Saturday, July 11, each starting at 8 p.m.
- Where: Juab County Fairgrounds, 400 West Center Street, Nephi.
- Tickets: the organizers ask fans to buy directly through Etix, the official seller, and to avoid resellers. The box office at the fairgrounds opens in mid-June; in 2026 it opened June 15, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- The rodeo: sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), with the Flying U Rodeo providing the stock.
Four nights, four themes
Each night of the 2026 rodeo had its own identity:
- Wednesday: Xtreme Bulls. A bull-riding night in two rounds that opens the week. Doors opened at 6 p.m.
- Thursday: Family Night, which doubled as Tough Enough to Wear Pink night. Gates opened at 6:30 p.m.
- Friday: Military and First Responder Night.
- Saturday: Championship Saturday, the final performance.
The Juab County tourism office lists bull riding, team roping and bronc riding among the events that make up a Ute Stampede performance.
The week around the rodeo
The rodeo is the anchor, but the 2026 schedule filled the days too:
- The carnival: the City of Fun Carnival at the fairgrounds, opening at 5 p.m.
- Country music: live sets before the rodeo on several nights, and after Thursday's performance in the fairgrounds' west parking lot.
- A coin dig in the arena before Wednesday's bull riding.
- Friday: the Lions Club breakfast at City Park at 6:30 a.m., a craft show at the Juab County Courthouse, 158 East 100 North, from 10 a.m., and the Heritage & Western Parade on Main Street at 5 p.m.
- Saturday: a car show at City Park at 10 a.m. and the Mammoth Parade on Main Street at 4 p.m.
There is also a queen contest and a 5K. The organizers post the full schedule on their website each spring.
Two parades on Main Street
The Stampede has two parades. Friday's Heritage & Western Parade runs in the early evening, and Saturday's Mammoth Parade comes in the afternoon before the championship performance. For a single day trip, Saturday stacks up well: the morning car show, the 4 p.m. parade, dinner in town and the 8 p.m. rodeo.
Doing it from Utah Valley
- The drive: about 45 minutes south of Provo on I-15. An 8 p.m. rodeo means a late drive home, so plan for it with young children.
- The scenic way: the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway climbs out of Payson and comes down near Nephi. It is a summer road, and taking it one way in daylight turns the trip into an outing of its own.
- Staying over: the organizers keep a list of motels and campgrounds on their site.
More rodeo and small-town celebration nearby
The Stampede sits in a busy stretch of the calendar. The Lehi Round-Up comes earlier in the summer, Spanish Fork's Fiesta Days rodeo comes later in July, and Payson's Golden Onion Days closes out the season on Labor Day weekend. In September, Payson also hosts Festival Latino de Payson beside the Peteetneet Museum.
2027
By tradition the Ute Stampede returns in the second week of July. The organizers post dates, the schedule and ticket information on their website, and the box office opens in mid-June. We will update this page when the 2027 dates are posted.
Related Guides
- The Lehi Round-Up
- The Nebo Loop Scenic Byway
- Living in Payson
- Payson Golden Onion Days
- Festival Latino de Payson
- Day trips from Provo
- Sanpete's summer festival circuit
Frequently Asked Questions
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