'Come hydrated': Thousands head to Folsom Pro Rodeo in triple-digit temperatures

Thousands of people made it out to all three days of the Folsom Pro Rodeo despite the triple-digit temperatures. The Folsom Pro Rodeo passed out free water and sunscreen to people heading in. Visitors were also allowed to bring their own sealed water bottles. While the gates opened each night at 5:30 p.m., the rodeo encouraged visitors to get there closer to show time at 7:30 p.m., once it cooled down.“We've encouraged people all week long with the continued heat to just come out closer to the event,” Jennifer Cliff, VP of marketing and communications for Choose Folsom and the Folsom Pro Rodeo, said. “It's been warm, but it's cooled down to unbelievably comfortable temperatures in the evening.”The Folsom Pro Rodeo also encouraged visitors to bring handheld fans, misters, breathable clothing, and hats to keep cool. That heat was also a factor that vendors at the rodeo had to account for.“We're trying to survive the best we can. We put up our canopies, added misters to kind of help out everybody outside,” Tammy Chavez, owner of the Pancho Villa BBQ Food Truck, said. “Water on the neck, water on the head, extra water, Gatorade. That's pretty much all you can do.”Chavez said it's typically 10 degrees hotter inside the food truck with all of the grills than it is outside. Still, they weren’t going to miss the rodeo. “It's fun and you get to laugh. You're spending the night outside, you hear the music, you end with fireworks. I think it's just a great outdoor event to be at,” Chavez said. As for the animals at the rodeo, Cliff said they're making sure they stay shaded and safe with fresh water and veterinarians on site.“We like to attribute like our human comfort and like air conditioning, but livestock doesn't go in the air conditioning. They stay out in the field. So, they acclimate to heat differently than us. But they do need fresh water so that’s the main thing, making sure they have plenty of access to water and shade,” Cliff said. "You have to remember cowboys and cowgirls. This is their livelihood. So, it's important that these animals are treated very well because it's a partnership."While the Folsom Pro Rodeo’s final day was Friday, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Rodeo is Saturday. Tickets are still available. Money raised will go toward the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Foundation. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.