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The Livermore Stockmen’s Rodeo began in 1918 as a patriotic effort to raise funds for the Red Cross during World War I. What started as a community-driven rodeo on local ranch land quickly grew into a celebrated annual tradition, drawing top competitors, national attention through early newsreels, and deep local involvement. Rooted in western and Spanish influences, the rodeo became a cornerstone of Livermore pride. With a race track on the outside  and action happening inside the arena at the stake time, spectators said the rodeo was over in a flash, there for the rodeo  earned its lasting reputation as the “World’s Fastest Rodeo.” In recognition of its historical and cultural significance, the Livermore Rodeo was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in July 2025.

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Continuing its long-standing commitment to service, the Livermore Rodeo Foundation was established in 2008 to give back to the community. The Foundation supports local charities, scholarships, veterans, breast cancer awareness, and other organizations that strengthen the Livermore Valley—carrying forward the rodeo’s original spirit of generosity and civic pride.​

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That legacy is honored today at Stockmen’s Park, a public park located at 29 S. Livermore Ave., which opened in October 2020. The park celebrates Livermore’s western heritage with over 200 local cattle brands etched into decorative paving surrounding an expansive green space. Visitors enter through an iron archway bearing the Stockmen’s Park name and pass a plaque dedicating the park to the Livermore Stockmen’s Rodeo Association. In the park’s northwest corner stands a powerful ten-foot bronze monument of a cowboy removing his hat and replacing it with a World War I helmet—symbolizing the rodeo’s patriotic origins. An agreement made in the early 1960s between the City of Livermore and the Stockmen’s Association to create this park and dedicate it to local veterans has now been proudly fulfilled.