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     The 75th Stampede brings all the traditional action and events, plus some special celebratory features this year.
     The event runs Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 7-10.
     Activities start Wednesday night with the 5 p.m. opening of the Davis Shows carnival at the west end of the East Side Park. The carnival continues through Sunday.
     The Omak Western and Native Art Show starts at 6 p.m. at the Courtyard Downtown on Main Street. It also runs through Sunday.
     Omak Stampede Indian Encampment gets under way Thursday evening, though organizers plan some pre-encampment activities Wednesday night.
     According to office manager Sarah Grooms, Canadian currency will be taken on par throughout the weekend since the exchange rate is so close.
     Rodeo performances all begin with the parade of flags, which this year will have 75 riders to celebrate the milestone in Stampede’s history. Horses and riders will carry flags, sponsored by area businesses, agencies and clubs, into the arena.
     Royalty will follow the parade of flags, with Miss Omak Stampede Page Davisson reigning.
     Each performance will feature a full range of Professional Rodeo Cowboys’ Association events.
     Bareback riding, tie-down roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, bull riding, team roping and barrel racing will be at every performance, Grooms said. Following each rodeo performance will be the World-Famous Suicide Race.
     Thursday night’s performance is both Wrangler Kids’ Night and family night, with up to four children admitted free with every paid adult, according to Grooms. Kids’ night starts at 4 p.m. with an hour of events and prizes for children.
     Slack competition will be at 7 a.m. Friday with free admission. Slack is offered when there are more contestants signed up for a timed event than can run during the regular rodeo performances.
     Friday night is Tough Enough to Wear Pink night, from which $1 of every ticket sold will go to benefit breast cancer research. This year, the campaign will be vamped up, Grooms said, and fund-raising will begin earlier.
     Sunny FM, a radio station with stations in Omak, Wenatchee, Chelan, Brewster and the Methow Valley, will sponsor the campaign, Grooms said. Stampede’s goal has been $10,000 each year, but last year it brought in $6,000.
     To get up to the goal and beyond, Sunny FM and the Stampede will sell scarves and other items, while the radio station will air free announcements. A drive-a-thon will allow folks to drive up to a particular location and donate money or items to sell.
     While the rodeo is on, bullfighters Dwayne Hargo Sr., and Dwayne Hargo Jr., will keep riders out of harm’s way. Barrel man Rowdy Barry will assist the cowboys and entertain the crowd.
     Specialty act John Payne, the One-Armed Bandit, will return this year, bringing his buffalo with him.
     Steve Kenyon will announce, and Big Bend and Flying 5 will once again be stock contractors.
     Chute seats for Friday and Saturday nights are sold out, but many other seats are available, according to Grooms. Tickets may be purchased by calling 826-1002 or 1 (800) 933-OMAK (6625).
     Rodeo performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Available ticket prices range from $8 to $18, depending on the performance night and seating section.
     Buttons once again will be available for $5 apiece, and will allow Suicide Race watchers admittance to special viewing areas on the hill and on the dike in the park.
     Buttons are available at the Stampede office, Gene’s Harvest Foods and Ulrich’s, all in Omak, and Rawson’s, Okanogan.
     Concessions and vendors will set up shop all weekend, offering a range of options from local service organization information to souvenirs and food.
     Parking fees this year are $5 for a day or $15 for a four-day pass, Grooms said. The fees will benefit Omak High School FFA and cross country.
     More information is available on the Stampede Web site at www.omakstampede.org.