One sure sign of this: Tickets go on sale to the public Wednesday and officials are encouraging the public to act fast.

Ogden Pioneer Days Foundation Chairman Steve Handy told the Standard-Examiner on Monday that a popular addition to last year’s rodeo will return July 18.

“We added Bulls, Broncs and Bands last year and it was such a hit,” he said. “We’re going to have Chancey Williams come back.”

He noted that this comes on the heels of rodeo contestants naming the Pioneer Days Rodeo the Best Large Rodeo in the state of Utah.

“We’re going to have great contestants — 1,000 contestants will show up — and it’s a really, really good time,” he said.

Additionally, Handy noted there will be an overarching theme for this year’s rodeo.

“This is America205 — the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of our country,” he said. “Lots of the activities will be themed around America250 and patriotism and calling attention to that.”

While there’s a lot of excitement for the rodeo and the opening of ticket sales, Handy is also urging some caution.

“We just really caution people to buy from ogdenpioneerdays.com,” he said. “There’s lots of scammers and resellers out there and people need to be really careful about avoiding that.”

As with many ticketed events these days, he said that the resale market and scammers have increasingly become a problem for those trying to buy Pioneer Days Rodeo tickets.

“They have been an issue because they will buy seats, because it’s a very popular event,” he said. “The average price is incredibly reasonable, but I know people that have paid $150 for general admission seats, and they just don’t need to do that.”

By contrast, the most expensive rodeo ticket bought straight from the rodeo’s website for one of the regular sessions (Box Seats) cost between $29 (July 20-23) and $34 (July 24) per ticket. The most expensive tickets (Premium) for Bulls, Broncs and Bands on July 18 are $64 per ticket.

“All events experience this now and it’s just really too bad,” Handy said. “It gives a false picture because all though it will show a sellout because we had realized revenue, the reseller has increased the price dramatically and then people won’t pay that $100 or $150 where it could’ve been $25.”

He said there is little they can do to stop resellers other than encouraging people to buy from the main source of tickets as soon as they’re able to.

Handy said that rodeo officials are excited to be able to open up ticket sales earlier than usual this year.

“This is the earliest that we’ve been able to have it together to sell (tickets),” he said. “We’ve been promoting it through our emails and on social media. … And we encourage people, when they see the notices, to act.”

He noted that July may be months off, but it won’t take that long to get there.

“It’s going to be here before you know it, so get your seats secured,” he said. “We’re going to give them a really, really good time at a really great value for their investment.”

More information can be learned through the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo website at https://www.ogdenpioneerdays.com/, where tickets go on sale Wednesday.