The crowds were treated to fireworks, clogging, dances, a live band and other activities. Booths sold funnel cakes and lemonade while there was a moon bounce and mechanical bull for the crowd's amusement.
The air was warm Friday and there was a carnival-like atmosphere. Many in the crowd dressed the part, wearing cowboy hats or boots.
Before the rodeo itself started, Drake Phillips of Morven took advantage of the mechanical bull.
"This is the main thing he wanted to do," his mother, Ginger Phillips, said.
Bleachers circled the arena while some people sat closer to the fence in lawn chairs or on towels and blankets.
"We would like to dedicate tonight's performance to our Southern heritage," the announcer said.
Riders paraded in the arena with flags from the states of North and South Carolina, along with a Confederate flag and an American flag.
After a prayer and the national anthem, the action got under way.
One event was steer wrestling, or bulldogging, where a horse-mounted rider chases a steer, leaps from his horse and then forces it to the ground. Riders who failed to do so before the steer reached the other end of the arena were disqualified from any prize money.
Calf ties was another event, where a steer was lassoed and bound by a rider. Of course, there were also bronc and bull riders.
Between events or even competitors, the announcer and a rodeo clown helped keep people entertained.
The patter was often family friendly with a hint of vaudeville to the proceedings. In one routine, the clown attempted to launch a "firework" using a cartoonish plunger detonator.
The clown wore a white lab coat and claimed to be a member of "LASSA," a play on NASA. Many jokes made pop culture references.
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