History of the Gerry Rodeo at Fredonia Opera House

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center will present the final program in its 2026 fall Here & There – Chautauqua County History, Travelers and Memories series on Thur., Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. The program will explore the history of the Gerry Rodeo.

Back in 1944, when the newly formed Gerry Volunteer Fire Department was looking for ways to raise funds, many thought that the idea of a rodeo wouldn’t succeed for even one year — but they certainly were wrong.

Each summer, the tiny hamlet of Gerry hosts the longest-running Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeo east of the Mississippi. For four days this quiet little village becomes “The Rodeo Capital of the East” as approximately 225 professional cowboys and cowgirls from more than 30 states roll into town and pay their entry fees to compete for more than $50,000 in prize money across four performances.

Join Donna Nichols, the Gerry Rodeo’s first Queen, for a talk on the 82-year history of this annual tradition.

Admission to the lecture is free, with donations gratefully accepted. Opera House programming is made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and by the United Arts Appeal of Chautauqua County.

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center is a member-supported not-for-profit performing arts center with a mission to “present the performing arts for the benefit of our community and region … providing access to artistic diversity … and high quality programming at an affordable price.” It is located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.fredopera.org.