The Fortuna Rodeo, held the third full week of July, is the town's signature event and the thing most likely to draw a visitor from outside Humboldt County. It is a working rodeo, sanctioned and competitive, rather than a tourist re-enactment — riders come from across the Pacific Northwest and the prize money is real.
Around the main events at the rodeo grounds the town puts on a carnival, parades, a salmon barbecue, dances, and a soap box derby. The whole week has the flavour of a county fair, with downtown businesses decorating their windows in Old West theme. For travellers, the rodeo is the single best week to see Fortuna at its most characterful — it is also the only week to book accommodation in advance.