Georgetown: The Lethem Rodeo or Rupununi Rodeo held each year over the Easter weekend continues to generate regional and international acclaim, with thousands flocking to the Region annually for the most popular inland cultural and sporting festival.
The fun kicks off on the Saturday, March 30th and continues to Easter Monday, April 1st with day time activities like wild bull riding, horse racing, wild cow milking, wild horse riding, a female barrel race, steer roping, among other exhilarating events.
The evening programme presents festivities in the form of a cultural fair with food, games, music and the lively “Fawhaw” dance, said, to have its origin in the popular Northeast Brazilian ”Forró” dance.
The rodeo has growing support, not only from the local ranches, but also from the private sector in Georgetown, and this has strengthened the wish to give the Lethem or Rupununi Rodeo more regional and international exposure.
In an effort to harness the potential of this event, the Tourism Ministry and the Guyana Tourism Authority have collaborated with several tour operators to offer tour packages for the Rupununi Rodeo and other events that fall within the Phagwah /Easter period, under the Re-Discover Home initiative.
This initiative was launched to provide the opportunity for citizens, businesses, organizations and tourists to discover the tourism opportunities that Guyana has to offer.
Towards this end several affordable and pocket friendly tour packages for the Phagwah, Easter, Regatta and Rodeo period were submitted to the Guyana Tourism Authority by local and International tour operators, including Dagron Tours, Wilderness, Adventure Guianas , Roraima Tours, Hurakabra Resort and Old Fort Tours.
These packages ranging from US$40 to US$260 were vigorously marketed by the GTA through several mediums including print and television media, social media, email and web blasting locally and internationally.
In addition to this, the GTA has also established a permanent website, www.visitgy.com where information on the packages is available and where interested persons can make reservations and inquiries.
Owing to the high demand for Hotel accommodation in Lethem for the Rodeo, visitors are being directed to alternative accommodation including camping in Lethem ( selected sites) or hotel accommodation in Bon Fin, neighbouring country Brazil ( Hotel located 5 mins drive from the Takutu Bridge).
The GTA has also been working with Regional Officials and private sector groups to prepare camping grounds, hammocks and washroom facilities for coastland and other international visitors who will be attending the annual Rodeo.
Due to the limited number of spaces available, those who are seeking an unforgettable experience and a glimpse of the most talked about event over the Easter weekend, are being invited to contact the GTA on 219-0094-6 for reservations, as soon as possible.
The Rupununi rodeo has its origins in the middle of the last century, when vaqueros competed against each other in various skills; it later grew from being a centralised event in St. Ignatius before moving to Lethem in 1985.
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