Opp Rattlesnake Rodeo Underway
There’s a big weekend ahead for the city of Opp as the Opp Rattlesnake Rodeo gets underway.
“Just looking forward to the crowd coming out, good sales, good weather,” says Jeff Wright.
“It’s just a really good time for everyone. We’re here for awareness but everybody else is going to have stuff to sell. It’s a good opportunity to find stuff that you can’t really find anywhere else,” says Jill Ainsworth.
The 2 day festival comes with a lot of work.
“It’s very exciting in what we’ve been doing since wednesday morning -setting up the stage and putting the fences up, putting the lights and sound and equipment and all that up,” says Charles Willis.
But it is worth it. People say the rodeo attracts thousands of people.
“We have a lot of people that come in. We have one man from Canada who camps out at the park every year-he’s here now actually helping one of the booths and we have people from all over-a hundred mile radius or sometimes further than that,” says Willis.
For some people, the rodeo is a first-time experience.
“Well what I’m looking forward to is a lot of things. For instance, there is a lot of good food here. So a lot of people that are going to show up. That’s really exciting…Some rattlesnakes, that’s always a big thing. There are all sorts of stuff you can do..Ice cream, have a lot of fun you can bring your kids. It’s going to be really exciting,” says Patrick Phelan.
As for getting up close with the snakes?
“I’m a little scared of them, so I kind of stand back,” says Ainsworth.
Gates open for the rodeo here at Channell-Lee Stadium at 8 am Saturday.
