Western Days rides into town

The sprit of the old west returns Friday when Western Days rides into Colusa.

Colusa County residents can step back in time to when cattle roamed freely, cooks prepared meals in Dutch ovens and cowboys entertained each other with tall tales and folk songs.

The 12th annual event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Friday with a cattle drive and parade through downtown Colusa before settling in at the fairgrounds for the weekend.

“Everything is a go,” Sherry Malby, an event organizer, said Tuesday. “It’s going to be a full weekend.”

The event includes a local celebrity-penning contest at 7 p.m. Friday and western trade show and Dutch oven cooking contest on Saturday.

Tom Indrieri, cookoff organizer, said about 20 people will be cooking “the old-fashioned way” this year, up from about 12 last year.

“We have a lot of new teams; people that have never done it before,” Indrieri said. “That is what I’m excited about.”

Indrieri said contestants can still sign up the day of the event if they are at the fairgrounds by 8 a.m. The cookoff and public tasting of the fare begins at 1 p.m.

Saturday’s events also include the Stonyford Rodeo Queen contest.

Organizer Christy Rudolph said nine girls from Colusa, Sutter, Lake and Glenn County will compete for the title, beginning at 9 a.m.

The queen contestants, who will also compete in the celebrity penning event on Friday, will be judged on horsemanship, knowledge of rodeo events and poise, Rudolph said. The winner will reign over the Stonyford Rodeo, May 2.

New to this year’s Western Days is the ranch horse class, a competition for real cowboys and working horses. The event will be held at the grandstands at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Entries will be accepted the day of the event.

Activities at the fairgrounds begin at 6 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday. Admission is free to all contests and the western trade show, scheduled each day.