The Gilroy Rodeo canceled its 2020 event due to Covid-19 concerns, the board of directors announced June 9.
In a statement, the board said it could not see a path forward for the 2020 event in August.
“We feel that with so many uncertainties to be hashed out before August, the Gilroy Rodeo could not come together successfully on such a short timeline,” the statement read. “This has been an enormously tough decision to make. We are so thankful for our volunteers, sponsors, arena crews and countless others who have stood by us in our fight to host events this year.”
The board said it would use the time to plan an “even better event” during the second weekend in August 2021.
The Gilroy Rodeo made its return in 2018, marking the end of a long absence. Before then, Gilroy had not had a major rodeo since the Gilroy Gymkhana, which ran from 1929 to 1956, featuring a parade and rodeo of a Wild West theme. Other smaller events lasted into the 1990s.
The rodeo is held at director Erik Martin’s family ranch on Ferguson Road, where an arena was built on the former dairy farm.
