Indiantown is rodeo ready
Indiantown Rodeo arena, under roof with industrial fans, creates the perfect outdoor setting at Timer Powers Park
It’s crunch time in Indiantown this week as hundreds of volunteers go into high gear to get Timer Powers Park Arena ready for the 74th anniversary of the Indiantown Rodeo this weekend, Oct. 15 and Oct 16. Gates open on Friday and Saturday evenings at 5 p.m., so visitors have time to peruse the more than 30 vendor booths for a wide variety of food, western wear, and jewelry.
It also gives spectators extra time to park their cars on the sprawling Timer Powers Park grounds on Citrus Blvd. prior to the first arena event at 7:30 both nights.
A few advance tickets at $18 apiece are still available at Seacoast Bank for the outdoor, family-oriented event, which admits kids five years and under free of charge. If you wait to buy tickets at the gate, the price will be $25 apiece, so don’t wait!
The rodeo speaks both to remnants of Indiantown’s history and culture of a hundred years ago and to its community spirit prior to 2019, when an outside administrator took control of the most ethnically diverse municipality in the county — perhaps in the state — sowing seeds of dishonesty, discord, and divisiveness rarely seen previously in this rural village of 7,000 residents.
The rodeo’s need to muster support wiped that all away as nearly 100 volunteers answered the call of the 10-member rodeo committee to get the village “rodeo ready.” It was exciting to see a renewed community spirit in anticipation of Indiantown’s first major event of the year.
Around 50 local businesses and friends of the village provided the financial and logistical support, led by Rodeo Presenting Sponsors US Sugar and Terra Largo, the name of the former 800-acre Indiantown DRI (development of regional impact) approved nearly 10 years ago by Martin County and soon to be breaking ground.
Familiar logos, including Martin County’s, and a few new ones will be displayed on fliers at the event with the notable exception of the Village of Indiantown itself.
The Indiantown Town Council chose during budget hearings to move funds to the Business Development Board of Martin County from what had been earmarked for the Indiantown Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event annually, revealing the continued rift between the village council and the chamber members who organized and financed the village’s incorporation in 2017.
But there’s no question that the village is “rodeo ready” without the council’s assistance.
Befitting the family-oriented theme and Indiantown’s church-going community, the production will be produced by the Lowry Family of the 4L and Diamond S ranch and rodeo company of Summerville, Ga. A family affair with national rodeo champion titleholder Charlie Lowry and his wife Wanda at the helm, the company now includes their children and grandchildren. When interviewed by a Georgia newspaper as to the secret to their 50-plus-year marriage, Charlie’s answer was one word – “Jesus.” He was being sincere, not sarcastic.
They are a perfect fit for Indiantown.
The Lowrys continue their affiliation with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association, which set strict standards for timing, judging, and animal care. Eight events with up to seven professional contestants each will vie for points on their journeys to national competitions for coveted belt buckles and prize money, ensuring the highest level of skill, courage, and technique seen at America’s largest western rodeos.
A part of American history, the rodeo gives spectators a window into traditional cowboy activities needed to tame wild horses and cattle on the range. Today’s rodeos include veteran rodeo announcer Jerry Todd to explain what’s happening and to entertain the crowd during breaks, along with clown and rodeo personality Dusty Myers, who helps keep cowboys safe through distraction, while also drawing laughs from the crowds at the same time.
Some spectators even say they come to watch the clown more than the cowboys and cowgirls.
Your ticket allows you on the grounds at 5 p.m., before the main event begins at 7:30 p.m., giving you extra family time to grab a snack or dinner, be tempted by an array of western attire and jewelry from visiting vendors, and to send your kids through the award-winning Kids Corral, which offers a dozen rodeo-themed, kid-friendly activities for ages 3 through 12.
For more information, check out the Indiantown Chamber of Commerce website at www.indiantownchamber.com, email questions to [email protected], or call 772-597-2184.
Tickets for the rain-or-shine event may still be purchased through Friday at Seacoast Bank branches throughout the Treasure Coast and in Indiantown at South State Bank and Hitchcock’s Rines Market.
Without a doubt,Indiantown is rodeo ready. The question now is, are YOU rodeo ready?
