A scavenger hunt is underway at this year’s Pendleton Round-Up.

If four stamps on a provided business card and four $8 drink tokens are collected from the four different hard alcohol venues, one stamp and one token can be collected at each venue, the prize of a souvenir coin can be redeemed in one of the four venues, the Let’er Buck Room.

The Let’er Buck Room

The world-renowned Let’er Buck Room is the most famous out of the four bars serving hard alcohol, and it only serves hard alcohol, proudly serving Pendleton Whisky products, and has been doing so since 1969 from behind one of the longest continuous bars on the globe.

The Let’er Buck Room is underneath the south grandstands of the Round-Up Grounds, and hundreds of people can be seen partying it up at any given time.

“It’s a big party, the party place during Round-Up,” Tim Smith said. Smith has been involved with the Let’er Buck Room since 1989, and he is currently on the Round-Up Board as Director of the Let’er Buck Room, which he also oversees the other three bars that serve hard alcohol.

Being the first of the four hard alcohol bars, decades ahead of the others, Smith said, “The Let’er Buck Room always had lines, and lines, and lines of people waiting to get in.”

It still is one of the most popular attractions of the Round-Up, but it is not quite as busy as it once was since the establishment of the three newer bars. A crowd is still possible, but it has been alleviated quite a bit compared to the past.

The Let’er Buck Room is the pinnacle of tradition and has only had one major change over the years, Smith said. That change was an increase of space by about 25% when the Hall of Fame relocated, so there is even more room for people to enjoy the “party atmosphere” of the worldly acclaimed bar.

Not only is the Let’er Buck Room where the party is at during Round-Up, but the room is rented out and utilized throughout the whole year for parties, such as wedding receptions. Some weekends it’s completely booked, back-to-back-to-back.

Drinks from the Let’er Buck Room during Round-Up cannot be taken out, so there are other options that are better suited for people wanting to drink and also wanting to watch the rodeo.

The Double D Bar

A bar of many names, but most recently known as the Section DD Bar, is now called the Double D Bar, and it provides the experience for people to drink both hard alcohol and beer while watching the rodeo — something the Let’er Buck Room cannot offer — but similar to the Let’er Buck Room, drinks cannot be removed from the bar area.

The Double D Bar was established after the east end renovations in 2016. Before that, the Let’er Buck Room was the only bar for hard alcohol on the Round-Up Grounds.

It is a standing bar, and it is located between the 1910 Room and section CC in the old section DD.

“It is great for watching barrel racing,” Smith said. “The last barrel is right there.”

The Double D Bar is also the site where Pendleton Whisky sponsors after-parties during Round-Up week.

Smith said he just wishes for there to be more space for people to enjoy the rodeo from the Double D Bar because it is such an amazing way to experience the Round-Up.

The Broken Barrier Bar

Both the Let’er Buck Room and the Double D Bar cannot have alcohol removed from their spaces, but that is not true for the Broken Barrier Bar.

It is located towards the end of the west grandstands, and it replaced the Strip’N Chute Bar, which started in 2015 — but it does fulfill the same purpose.

The Broken Barrier Bar is the bar for people who want to grab hard alcohol and then go back to their own seats. Smith said, “This bar is for getting people in and out, so they aren’t missing the show.”

The Margarita Bar

Just like the Broken Barrier Bar, the Margarita Bar is about getting people in and out so they can enjoy their drink while watching the rodeo.

It is the newest of the four hard alcohol bars, having just started up last year.

The Margarita Bar serves frozen, slushy margaritas. It is located near the west side of the Round-Up Grounds near the Roy Raley Room in a Coke trailer.

This year there will be a blood orange and Pendleton Whisky slushy, and there will be a brand new huckleberry and Midnight Pendleton Whisky slushy.

The Saloon Scavenger Hunt

Whether it is the party atmosphere of the Let’er Buck Room, the standing bar of the Double D Bar, or the grab-and-go of the Broken Barrier Bar and the Margarita Bar, Smith said there is something for everyone.

Smith said he hopes that people enjoy this year’s Round-Up and explore the different hard alcohol venues and participate in the “scavenger hunt” involving the four bars by collecting the four stamps and four tokens, a stamp and token from each, in order to redeem a souvenir coin from the Let’er Buck Room.