Charles Whitlow Arena

Name: BRDS Jackpot Race 11-6
Start: 2025-11-06
End: 2025-11-06
Location: Charles Whitlow Arena

Arena History

Three miles south of historic Main Street on State Route 79, the Charles Whitlow Rodeo Grounds is the beating heart of Florence’s ranching culture. Local roper and cattleman Charles A. Whitlow Sr. launched the first Florence Junior Parada on this site in 1932 to raise money for the Children’s Milk Fund—a Depression-era benefit that has grown into the oldest sanctioned junior rodeo in the United States.

Recognizing Whitlow’s decades of volunteer leadership, the Town Council officially named the arena for him in 1970, cementing his legacy after he spearheaded WPA-era improvements that added modern chutes, corrals and seating for roughly 2,000 spectators.

Today the complex welcomes the annual Thanksgiving-weekend Junior Parada, youth barrel races, bluegrass festivals and community camp-outs. With ample bleachers, RV-friendly dry camping and sweeping Sonoran-desert sunsets, the arena continues to celebrate Florence’s reputation as the “Cowboy Cradle of the World” for new generations of riders and fans alike.