Festivals and Events

JULY

Killdeer Mountain Roundup Rodeo. Begun in 1923, this is North Dakota's oldest rodeo sanctioned by the PRCA. The community goes all out, hosting a parade, street dance, and fireworks display on July 3 and 4. 701/764-5777.

Medora Stampede. Recounting the heritage of the Wild West and rodeo in the badlands of the 1800s, the fast-paced rodeo, held in Medora's Ranch-O-Rama Arena on more than a dozen afternoons in July, has clowns and a shoot-out. 218/843-1162. www.medorastampede.com. $18.

AUGUST

Founder's Day. Each August 25, this holiday commemorates the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916. The visitor centers host special programs and serve cookies and lemonade 701/623-4466.

DECEMBER

Old-Fashioned Cowboy Christmas. Held the first full weekend in December in downtown Medora, the festivities begin with a wreath-hanging ceremony at the community center, followed by poetry readings, a holiday doll show, sleigh rides, and a dance. 701/623-4910.