The California Rodeo Association has broken ground on the Taylor Farms Pedestrian Bridge project at the Salinas Sports Complex thanks to generous sponsors and donors in the local community. This project was started well before the current pandemic and is moving forward with monies generated prior to 2020. The arched pedestrian bridge will stretch to 25 feet tall and span 224 feet across the south end of the track that surrounds the rodeo arena, connecting the south end of the west grandstands to the south grandstands. Seating for the annual California Rodeo Salinas is located on all sides of the arena with the largest group in the west grandstand; various other seats and attractions are located in the center of the track and east side of the arena, requiring fans to cross the track during the performance. As the event has grown, organizers have struggled with accommodating larger groups of people and leaders have been talking for years about ways to safely move groups from one area of the facility to the next in a timely fashion.
Rodeo Director Jerry Bunker is the lead on the project working with Southern Bleachers, a company out of Graham, Texas, who built the existing grandstands at the Salinas Sports Complex. Bunker, who has vast professional experience with logistics, has been assessing traffic flow during the annual Rodeo for seven years and started on the bridge project in 2015 before recommending it to the Board of Directors. The bridge will allow fans to move freely about the complex during the show without delays due to track action which negatively impacted the fan experience and potentially jeopardized safety. Bunker said, “The pedestrian bridge will be a great addition to the California Rodeo, the largest professional rodeo in the state, providing much improved convenience and safety for fans and track activities.” It will also include a lift to accommodate wheel chairs and feature donor signage recognition along the inner walls of the L-shaped path. The estimated completion date is February 2021, dependent upon weather and material availability.
The Taylor Farms Pedestrian Bridge project would not be possible without generous financial contributors including:
Naming Rights - Taylor Farms
Platinum Capital Donors – Pacific International Marketing, MyCars.com, Tanimura & Antle, Coastal Tractor/New Holland Ag
South Grandstands Sponsor VIP Bar – ATS Transportation Services
Signage Donors –
Boot Barn
Brent Eastman Insurance Services
California Water Service
Church Brothers Farms
Hayward Lumber Company
Irrigation Design and Construction
McDonalds Raymond Costa
Naturipe Berry Growers
Pacific Valley Bank
RDO Equipment Co.
Salinas Pump Company
Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System
Sally Church Foundation
Smith Family Wines
Vista Verde Labor
Wrangler
Sturdy Oil
About California Rodeo Salinas
The 111th California Rodeo Salinas will take place July 15th-18th, 2021. The California Rodeo Association is a not-for-profit organization that strives to preserve and promote the traditions of the California Rodeo Salinas and the West. We support the community and other non-profit organizations through the staging of the annual California Rodeo Salinas and other year round operations of the Salinas Sports Complex. Through donation of our facility, vending and fundraising opportunities during Rodeo and other events, the California Rodeo Association returns almost $500,000 annually to local non-profits. For more information about the California Rodeo Salinas, log on to www.CARodeo.com or call the California Rodeo Office at 831-775.3100. ‘Like’ the California Rodeo on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CARodeoSalinas or follow us on Instagram and twitter @CaliforniaRodeo for updates, photos and more.