Brighton Seminole Rodeo And Festival Expecting Big Crowds This Weekend

OKEECHOBEE, Fl. -- Celebrating 84 years, the Brighton Field Day Festival  got off to a big start Friday morning at the Fred Smith Rodeo Arena on the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation in Okeechobee, Florida.

Presented by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, many Seminole favorites are returning including the Rodeo (Friday and Saturday), Xtreme Bull Riding (Sunday), clothing contests, American Indian arts & crafts and native foods. The PRCA Rodeo will take place on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. 

Attendees may also visit the Seminole Culture Camp where a living Seminole Indian Village will be on display. The event weekend will also feature native dance troupes from neighboring tribes, storytelling, alligator wrestling, and a snake show.

Photo: Alligator Demonstration (credit: Don Browne)

Entertainment Saturday evening will be a concert by multi-platinum country artist Gary Allan. The Gary Allan concert is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m.

Brighton Field Day started in November of 1938. William and Edith Boehmer, two teachers who were residing on the Brighton reservation, got the idea to start a “day of fun.”

The Brighton Field Day Festival is held at the Fred Smith Rodeo Arena, which is located at 17400 Sports Complex Road NE, Okeechobee, Florida, 34974.

Photos by Don Browne