Weighing in at about $3.6 billion annually, tourism is the second largest industry in the state.

As Fourth of July celebrations and small-town centennial celebrations kick off across the state this week, North Dakota enters its best month for tourism, Sara Otte Coleman, North Dakota tourism director, said.

"We anticipate good visitor numbers coming up this next week," Otte Coleman said.

Mandan Rodeo Days is one local event that draws visitors from all over, Otte Coleman said.

Last year, the American Bus Association named Mandan Rodeo Days to its list of the 'Top 100 North American events,' Otte Coleman said.

"It's one of the best rodeos in the region and it brings some good cowboys from around the circuit," Neil Ness, vice chair of the Mandan Rodeo Committee, said.

Rodeo performances will be held at 7 nightly Monday to July 4 at the Mandan rodeo grounds in Dacotah Centennial Park.

The rodeo will feature professional rodeo action in bareback riding, tie-down roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing and bullriding,

This year's rodeo also includes chuckwagon racing, Gizmo the clown, the One Arm Bandit and a fireworks display that will follow the rodeo on July 4.

"Mandan Rodeo Days as a whole is just huge, not only for what it brings to North Dakota but also what it means for the people here," Ness said.

To help raise funds for the local chapter of the American Cancer Society, the Mandan Rodeo Committee is selling raffle tickets for a pink four-wheeler that was donated, in part, by Open Road Honda of Mandan.

The raffle tickets are available at Open Road Honda, Twin City Implement and Riverwood RV. Tickets are $10 each. Only 2,000 will be sold.

Last year, the Mandan Rodeo raised approximately $15,000 from the raffle of a pink New Holland tractor. This year, Northern Region New Holland Dealers are again raffling a tractor and donating the money to breast cancer research.

"The whole rodeo is a family event," Ness said.

Each night, youth ages 8 to 14 (up to 120 pounds) can try their luck at Little Rowdy Bullriding. aboard miniature bulls born and bred to buck.

On July 4, Mandan's main attraction kicks off at 10 a.m. at the Rodeo Grounds at Dacotah Centennial Park.

The 2007 Mandan Fourth of July parade will begin at Dacotah Centennial Park and follow its route west through Memorial Highway and all of Main Street in Mandan.

As many as 75,000 people will line Main Street during the parade, Raymond Morrell, 2007 parade director and president of the Mandan Jaycees, said.

"Each and every year we continue to build up (the parade) to make it bigger and better," Morrell said.

Because the number of entries is not limited, the Mandan parade is the biggest parade in North Dakota. This year's parade has more than 150 entries, Morrell said.

Candy should not be thrown from the parade floats. Morrell encourages entrants to walk alongside the crowd to hand out candy.

Mandan Art in the Park Festival will run from 9 a.m. to p.m. Tuesday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 4.

Located in the Dykshoorn Park along the parade route on Mandan's Main Street, the festival attracts about 25,000 visitors each year.

Thanks to the addition of the new park east of the Mandan Depot, more than 140 arts and craft booths will participate in the festival, making it the largest since Art in the Park started more than 40 years ago. Entertainment will run continually in the band shell.

In conjunction with Art in the Park, the Doll and Pet Parade is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Mandan Depot.

Children are invited to dress up their dolls, pets and wagons and parade one and one half blocks west on Main Street in downtown Mandan. Pre-registration is not required.

On the state Capitol grounds, Marine Gunnery Sgt. David Haglund, a trumpeter for United States Marine Band, will be a special soloist during the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony's 2007 July 4th Spectacular.

Pre-concert entertainment will begin at 7:30 p.m., followed by a blackhawk helicopter flyover and the symphony performance at 8:45 p.m. Fireworks will follow the concert.

(Reach reporter Alyssa Schafer at 250-8264 or alyssa.schafer@;bismarcktribune.com)