‘Freedom Rodeo’ and parade north of Pasco to buck the WA coronavirus order

A group of Tri-Citians are ignoring government orders against large gatherings and organizing a two-day Independence Day event with a rodeo, parade and dance parties.

The Basin City 4th of July Parade and Freedom Rodeo is going to be held in a rodeo arena that reportedly hasn’t been used in nearly four decades.

Organizers spent the past month at Basin City Memorial Park leveling the rodeo grounds, installing bleachers and putting in grass.

Basin City is about a half hour north of Pasco in Franklin County.

As of Monday evening, nearly 1,500 people said on the event’s Facebook page that they are interested in the Friday and Saturday Freedom Rodeo and nearly 500 said they are going.

One discussion on the event page involved how much candy a parade participant needs to bring to hand or toss out to kids along the route through the rural unincorporated agricultural town of about 1,000 people.

“With everything going on in the country and in the state, some esteemed members of our community have come together to put on a western celebration of our independence,” the organizers wrote on the event’s Facebook page.

Franklin County remains in Phase 1 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s four-phase reopening plan because it continues to have a high number of new COVID-19 cases.

It is one of only three counties trying to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic that are still in the first phase, which does not allow for social gatherings, limits outdoor spiritual gatherings and requires restaurants and retailers to limit purchases to curbside or pick-up.

Franklin and Benton counties both have applied to reopen more.

Rowdy Barry, who retired from bullfighting in January 2019, said in a Facebook video that there is no better symbol of freedom than a cowboy.

“What do we stand for? What does the cowboy stand for?” he asked. “As long as we can remember, freedom. And that is what we are in protest of from our government, is freedom.”

He welcomed those who don’t agree with the crowded public event being held right now to “come make a stand, come interrupt or come watch everybody that is here.”

Barry also said on the video that the rodeo arena has not been used in almost 40 years.

“There’s some great people around this community that have come together and turned a very old arena into a very nice arena in less than a month,” he said.

The Freedom Rodeo is being put on by donations, organizer Clay Barry said in a Facebook post.

Friday’s schedule includes rodeo events and a dance with music by Stompin Ground of the Tri-Cities.

On Saturday, there’s a morning parade, a second rodeo performance, 15-minute firework show and another dance.

Camping, for those not entered in the rodeo, is being offered in a large gravel and dirt lot between storage sheds.

“This is a community rodeo, put on by your community, for your community, so no ticket sales are needed,” organizer KyLee Shumway said in a separate Facebook video. “This is your great community coming together, rebuilding this facility, putting on a rodeo for you guys. So come enjoy.”

This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 5:00 AM.