PENDLETON — Tides of Western boots, blue jeans and button-up shirts sprinkled the streets of Pendleton the second full week of September for the annual Round-Up.

The large outdoor rodeo and all that comes with it draws a crowd of tens of thousands. They pack the Pendleton Round-Up Arena as well as Main Street and venues throughout town.

“I’m not necessarily a rodeo lover, but I love the whole cowboy vibe,” Catherine Lutes, from Ashland, said.

For some the Round-Up is tradition and for others it’s a first.

As a first-timer, Lutes was in town for everything except the Saturday rodeo, she said. She was particularly eager for the Happy Canyon Night Show and the Westward Ho! Parade. Tough Enough to Wear Pink day also was on her radar.

Lutes planned to “hit the highlights,” along with her friend, Susan Plott, who was once a resident of Pendleton and is now Lute’s tour guide for the Round-Up, she said.

“I love the vibe here. I love the shopping,” she said.

Western clothes stores in town are a major appeal for Lutes.

She noted the high demand for accommodation made it challenging to find a spot in town. She opted for a rental in Hermiston to remedy this but has plans to return next year and stay in Pendleton among the buzz.

One rodeogoer who opted for a different type of stay is Tressa Harris.

Harris, who travels four hours into town from Clatskanie, is a veteran camper. She stays in a no-electricity trailer on the high school grounds. She’s been coming to the rodeo for 14 years and wouldn’t miss it for the world, she said. She can’t afford the inflated rental prices during Round-Up, so a trailer does the job, she said.

Harris sampled her first Round-Up – and no frills camping – as a solo attendee. She recalled being intrigued to see what the week had on offer.

That’s changed over the years though. She feels like part of the Round-Up community, she said.

“I have so many friends here now, it’s just like you get here and it’s my family,” Harris said.

Like Lutes, Harris comes in-part for the shopping and the Western vibe.

Her only request when camping is to have a full size mirror, she said. With her fashion focus, it’s an essential tool for looking the part during Round-Up and she takes pride in her style choices over the course of the week.

The only part of Round-Up she would like to change is some people’s outfits,” she said, playfully.

“I buy (clothes) in Vegas and I buy in Pendleton and I do not compete in rodeo, but I do ride horses,” Harris said. “Let ‘er buck.”

The Round-Up’s motto becomes nearly ubiquitous during the week, and attendee Tough Hardman exemplifies it.

Hardman traveled in for his fifth year from Atoka, Oklahoma, to compete in roping events at the Round-Up. His three children and wife joined along to support him and soak up the festivities.

Hardman said the sport has been a staple in his life since childhood.

“There’s nothing better than getting to come to Pendleton and rope on the grass,” he said. “It gets pretty wild.”