The Cody Stampede is Rip-Roaring Fun, Especially This Year as “Yellowstone” Actor Cole Hauser Named Grand Marshal of Cody’s July 4 Parade

CODY, Wyo., April 19, 2022 – The Cody Stampede has named actor Cole Hauser, best known for his role as Rip Wheeler in the blockbuster show “Yellowstone,” as this year’s July 4 parade Grand Marshal. Typically viewed by thousands of flag-waving celebrants lining the streets of Cody’s Sheridan Ave., the July 4 parade is among many events scheduled during the annual five-day celebration, which has been called “one of the top small-town American Fourth of July celebrations in the country.”

A man bull riding with people with cowboy hats watching at the Cody Stampede-Rodeo

Other events include Cody Yellowstone Xtreme Bulls & Bullfighters Only Tour on June 30; nightly rodeos sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association July 1-4; the Wild West Arts Fest on July 2, 3 and 4; and parades including an always-adorable Kiddies Parade on July 2 and parades on July 3 and 4. A massive fireworks display caps the final July 4 rodeo.

In honor of nearby Yellowstone National Park’s 150th anniversary, the theme of this year’s event is “Yellowstone – 150 Years of Wild and Wonder.” Yellowstone National Park superintendent Cam Sholly will also be an honored guest of the Cody Stampede.

A gateway to Yellowstone National Park, the town of Cody has celebrated July 4 with patriotic gusto for more than a century. The tradition was spearheaded by friends of town founder Buffalo Bill Cody to honor his legacy after his 1917 death. The event helped gain publicity for a new 52-mile road to the East Gate of Yellowstone National Park. Now called the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway, the road meanders through a wildlife-rich Western landscape along the Shoshone River and passes stunning rock formations, numerous guest and dude ranches and Pahaska Tepee, Buffalo Bill’s hunting lodge.

“It doesn’t take much imagination for ‘Yellowstone’ fans to picture Rip Wheeler galloping out of Yellowstone National Park and along the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway before purposefully guiding his horse down the wide streets if Sheridan Ave. under the massive Wyoming sky,” said Ryan Hauck, executive director of Cody Yellowstone. “The Cody Stampede is a patriotic celebration of an authentic Western destination that is having an especially poignant moment as the world gets back to travel and celebrates the 150th anniversary of the world’s first national park.”

Woman on horses holding American flags during a parade

Rodeo tickets can be purchased online now. General admission tickets are $23 for adults and $11.50 for children for rodeos on July 1, 2 and 3. Reserved seats for the July 4 rodeo and Xtreme Bulls event are $30.
More than 800 rodeo contestants will be competing for a purse with more than $400,000.
There are numerous free or moderately priced events including the three-day Wild West Arts Fest beginning July 2, 41st Annual Runners Stampede on July 4 and three days of parades beginning with the Kiddies Parade on July 2.
Out-of-towners have broad choice of lodging with more than 1,600 rooms, but the region’s hotels, inns, ranches and campgrounds can sell out for the event, and travelers are encouraged to book rooms soon.
Hauser joins a long list of distinguished Grand Marshals who have led the famous parade over the years. Others include John Wayne, Wilford Brimley, Chuck Yeager and rodeo star Dusty Tuckness.

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Home of the Great American Adventure, Cody Yellowstone is comprised of the northwestern Wyoming towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse as well as areas inside of Yellowstone National Park and the valley east of the entrance. The region is known for rodeos, authentic guest and dude ranches, world-class museums and recreational adventures that reflect the adventurous spirit of the visionaries and explorers who brought the remote region to the world’s attention.

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Media contact:

Mesereau Travel Public Relations

720-284-1512