The Pioneer Days Rodeo is Guymon's marquee event and the reason most outside visitors come. Held on the first weekend of May at the rodeo arena south of town, it draws competitors from across the professional rodeo circuit — bull riders, ropers, barrel racers — and the prize purse is large enough to attract serious talent. The three days of competition are bracketed by a parade, a carnival, and a long, dusty round of street parties along Main Street.
If you have never been to a working professional rodeo, this is a good place to start. The crowd is genuinely local, the food is barbecue and funnel cake, and the riding is the real thing. Tickets are available at the gate; the cheaper grandstand seats put you closer to the action than the box seats and are the better deal.