Once a year, the number of people in Mandan will mushroom like the colored explosions of Fourth of July fireworks. That time has come again.

Mandan's Independence Day celebrations have been documented from as far back as 1881 with a parade down Main Street.

Now, that parade draws thousands of watchers and is encompassed in Mandan's 139th annual, week-long Rodeo Days. It is accompanied by scores of other festivities, including the rodeo, an immaculate fireworks display, Art in the Park, a carnival, class reunions, races and much more.

"We wanted to not just have a rodeo in town, but to have a celebration," said Del Wetsch, executive director of the Mandan Progress Organization.

The rodeo itself has become a nationally recognized event, with top riders coming to compete. The American Bus Association listed Mandan Rodeo Days on its list of Top 100 North American events.

"You're going to see a world-class rodeo," said Wetsch. "We'll have cowboys from nationally ranked spots."

At the Dacotah Centennial Park, attendees will have plenty of entertainment over the course of the four-day event this week, including miniature bull riding, western vendors, clown and barrelman Damon "The Rubberband Man" Rogers and the K-9 Kings, stunt bikes and each night crowds can see chuckwagon races. New this year, motorcycle barrel racing will be featured.

"You can come here and anything you like to do, you're going to find here." said Wetsch. "Shoot, I'd still come here if I wasn't working on it."

The festivities start at 10 a.m. Tuesday with the first rodeo slack competition. General admission is $16 for adults and $9 for kids.

For those not interested in rough riding, just venture downtown to Art in the Park for an array of merchant booths.

Although Art in the Park has been formally organized for a quarter of a century, merchants have been gathering there for nearly 40 years. But this year, it will be bigger than ever.

With the expansion from Dykshoorn Park into the lot east of the train depot, Art in the Park will have more than 25 additional booths than last year. The booths will feature clothing, jewelry, fine art, pottery, woodwork, floral and food.

"It's a nice festive atmosphere with music, good people and the smells of food," said Susie Kocourek, senior program director of the Bismarck Mandan Chamber of Commerce. "It's really neat."

The festivities will begin for the two-day event starting at 7 a.m. Thursday when the Knights of Columbus will cook a pancake breakfast.

After that, Kocourek said when people are not shopping at one of the 139 craft booths or eating at the 27 food booths, they can expect continuous entertainment. There will be many kinds of music, including country, blues and folk.

"We've expanded and increased the booths so there will be entertainment on both sides of the depot," Kocourek said.

She also said to come hungry for the wide array of food. Be it Indian tacos, gyros, hamburgers or bratwursts, you'll find it all she said.

"You could eat your way through the parks," she said.

As for this year's parade, the theme is "And the Beat Goes On." There are an estimated 187 entries expected for the parade, which will begin at Dacotah Centennial Park at 9:30 Friday morning. The parade will march from there, then down Main Street.

Raymond Morrell, parade director, said he will take applicants for parade floats until start time, as long as they are decorated.

"When you're traveling down the parade, you will see the same families in the same locations, on the same trailers, with same couches and same barbecue grills, year after year," Morrell said. "It's something that has become tradition for many families, year after year after year."

The Rodeo Days festivities culminate with a $10,000 fireworks display, which BNSF Railways is sponsoring.

"The stuff we order is stuff you don't see around here," said Wetsch. "The display is awesome."

The fireworks will be after all festivities on Friday at 11 p.m., also at the Dacotah Centennial Park.

"The finale will blow you away." Wetsch said. "It will make you warm and fuzzy inside, and proud to be an American."

(Reach reporter Chris Rosacker at 250-8254 or chris.rosacker@bismarcktribune.com.)