This year’s Buckeroo festivities will be on display for the world to see.

Travel Channel Europe is bringing their cameras to town on July 4 to shoot rodeo footage for an episode titled “Real West Tribal Heritage” in the Oregon Uncovered series that will be aired throughout Europe and later in the United States, executive producer Jaimie Douglas said.

The episodes will air in 12 different languages and in 48 million European homes, Douglas said.

The Buckeroo events kick off on Thursday afternoon, with the carnival at Clark Park opening at 2 p.m. The carnival runs daily through Sunday and will close each evening after the action winds down at the rodeo grounds.

The carnival opens Friday at 11 a.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

This year’s carnival will feature two additional rides geared toward older youth, carnival coordinator Todd McGann said.

“We’re trying to grow and make it a bit more enjoyable for everyone,” McGann said.

Thursday and Saturday are bracelet days, where carnival-goers can purchase a bracelet for unlimited rides from 2 to 9 p.m.

The Kiddie Parade, coordinated by the Country Christian Key Club and the Kiwanis Club of Molalla and sponsored by the Molalla Fire Department, will take place Thursday at 6 p.m.

All children participating in the parade receive a goodie bag, which includes a free general admission ticket to attend any performance of the rodeo when accompanied by an adult with a paid admission. Staging for the Kiddie Parade begins at 3:30 p.m. at Molalla High School, with judging starting at 4:45 p.m.

The Molalla Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary will host their annual Independence Day Pancake Breakfast at Long Park next to the fire station.

A breakfast of pancakes, ham and eggs will be served from 10 p.m. on Thursday all through the night and ending at noon on Friday, July 4. The cost is $7 for adults and $5 for children and all proceeds go toward assisting local veterans.

The breakfast will be a convenient stop for morning parade-goers, who can find their parade spot and then come get breakfast, Ladies Auxiliary president Jessie Stober said.

The Giant Street Parade, coordinated by the Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce, starts at 9:30 a.m. on July 4. A map of the parade route will be available in a special publication about the Buckeroo to be inserted in Wednesday’s Molalla Pioneer.

Around 100 entries had registered by Thursday, but Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce director Sheri Kelly expects that number to reach around 150.

Entries include various floats from churches, businesses and community members, the Portland Police Highland Guard pipe band, vintage and classic cars, Ronald McDonald, the Molalla High School band, horses and more, Kelly said.

St. James Parish on Frances Street will be serving their annual barbecued chicken dinner from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. The menu includes half-chickens to go for $6 or a complete chicken dinner featuring half a chicken, coleslaw, baked potato, a roll and dessert for $9. Senior and children’s meals are $7.

The Molalla Buckeroo PRCA rodeo opens Thursday evening with an 8 p.m. show and continues through Sunday. All nighttime shows end with a fireworks display, followed by a dance.

Rodeo ticket sales are ahead of last year’s numbers, said Henry Esparza from the Buckeroo ticket office. He credits the weekend timing of this year’s Independence Day along with popular attractions for drawing the crowds.

Friday, July 4 will feature two rodeo performances, a matinee at 1:30 p.m. and an evening show at 8.

The Saturday rodeo at 8 p.m. will promote the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign. Attendees and cowboys alike are encouraged to wear pink to support breast cancer research.

$1 from each ticket purchased for Saturday’s rodeo will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. In the past two years that the Buckeroo has featured Tough Enough to Wear Pink, more than $10,000 has been raised for cancer research, said Kristy Wheeler, who works for the Buckeroo Association.

Spectators sporting pink will be entered to win door prizes and contestants wearing pink who win the go-round will receive a $100 bonus and a matching $100 donated in their name to the Foundation.

“We want to encourage people to come on Saturday and wear their pink to support breast cancer research,” Wheeler said.