Families and other fans can see rodeo pros holding on tight in events such as bronc riding, bull riding and barrel racing and local folks letting loose in the calf scramble and brand-new wheelbarrow races tonight at the 2023 Statesboro Kiwanis Rodeo.

This will be the 12th appearance of the Kiwanis Rodeo in 13 years and the third time it has been held at the Bulloch County Agricultural Arena, 44 Arena Blvd., off U.S. Highway 301 South. The rodeo gets underway at 7:30 p.m.

The Kiwanis Club of Statesboro continues its dozen-year relationship with Hedrick Rodeo Company of Madisonville, Tennessee, which brings in personnel such as the rodeo clowns, announcers and pick-up men, as well as rodeo-ready livestock, and schedules the pro-level ropers and riders.

That is an International Finals Rodeo, the annual International Professional Rodeo Association, or IPRA, championship. Those seven events, which can be seen here both nights, are saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing and bull riding.

Hedrick’s outfit has lead rodeo clown and “barrel man” Ty “Stormin Norman” Stewart from Nebraska and announcer Robert Blue Jeanes from Texas coming to Statesboro.

For local family and group participation during the intermissions, the children’s calf scramble will be back, and team wheelbarrow racing debuts this year.

New and returning vendors will offer food and other items after the gates open each night and throughout the rodeo. These include Hunter Cattle Company, Baby CJ’s Rib Shack, God Made Chef T, Wavee Shavee Ice, Boro Sno and La Hacienda Western Wear. Some nonprofit organizations, such as American Heritage Girls and the Gideons, also have booths.