Pennsylvania's Rodeo Hub Is Packed With Small-Town Charm In A Tight-Knit Community

A rodeo is something you'd expect to see in western U.S. destinations like Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Fort Worth, Texas. But you might not know you can live your cowboy fantasy east of the Mississippi River, too. The quiet small town of Avella puts the west in Western Pennsylvania with its Little A Town Arena, a 12-acre outdoor event space whose equestrian shows and motorsports competitions have attracted growing crowds since it opened in 2007.

The Little A Town Arena overlooks downtown Avella from Italy Hill and hosts a variety of events throughout the year, from concerts to circuses to tractor pulls. This includes two annual rodeos: the Little A Town Rodeo in June and Bulls, Bands & BBQ in September. The June rodeo includes entertainment like barrel racing, steer wrestling, and bull riding, while the fall event adds live country music and barbecue trucks to the mix. Tickets for either event are just $26 for adults if you buy them in advance. Other events at Little A Town Arena celebrate a frontier spirit, like their October Pow-Wow Mountain Man Rendezvous, where you can watch Native American dancing or buy handcrafted goods from local vendors.

A Pennsylvania rodeo isn't the only reason to visit Avella. While it's a very small town, with a population of under 1,000 that gives it a very rural, in-the-country feel, its location in Washington County puts it within easy reach of other Northern Appalachian attractions. It's less than an hour's drive from Pittsburgh, the closest major transportation hub, and a similarly quick trip from smaller Ohio River cities like Steubenville, Ohio, or the underrated historic mountain town of Wheeling, West Virginia. If you're looking for an off-the-beaten-path destination to explore, Avella's unique landmarks and culture make it worth inclusion on your travel itinerary.

Most historic landmarks in Pennsylvania date back just a couple of hundred years, like the Revolutionary War site of Valley Forge or the preserved 1850s buildings in the one-time company town of Eckley Miners' Village. But the Meadowcroft Rockshelter in Avella functioned as a campsite for prehistoric humans 19,000 years ago, based on evidence of ice-age firepits and artifacts like flint knives and pottery fragments excavated from the site. This makes it the oldest human habitation discovered in North America to date.

A visit to Meadowcroft is a tour through history. Along with the Rockshelter, visitors can experience life in the 16th to 19th centuries in Meadowcroft's interpretive villages. The recreated 16th-century Monongahela village features a hunting camp where you can test an atlatl, an early precursor to the bow and arrow. There's also an 18th-century frontier trading post and a 19th-century recreated rural village where reenactors bring the past to life. Tours of all the sites are offered daily from May through November, and one $15 admission ticket will get you into all the exhibits.

There's more history to explore around Avella as well. The area was first settled in 1772 and grew into a trading hub in the decades that followed. The most famous building still standing from those early years is about a 20-minute drive from Avella in Bethany, West Virginia: the Alexander Campbell Mansion, the home of Bethany College's founder, which dates back to 1795. The Isaac Manchester House, just south of Avella, has a similarly long history. The house was built in 1815, but outbuildings on the property date back even further, including a 1773 distillery. The property is still owned by the Manchester family, the eighth generation to live and work on the farm.

If you're looking for a casual spot for a tasty meal, Breezy Heights Tavern is one local favorite for both its decor and menu. Located in a one-time general store from the 1920s, the many trophy animals displayed in the dining room give it a unique atmosphere. Pressure-fried "broasted chicken" has been their signature dish since 1962 and is lauded by customers, who describe it as "crispy and not greasy but juicy inside."

Bull Pen Rustic Inn is another spot to hit up for dinner or a drink. The menu is fairly standard bar fare (the wings and house-made potato chips are consistently well-reviewed), but the atmosphere and entertainment are what really make it stand out, with live music on Sundays and a deck ideal for a relaxing meal outdoors.

As far as where to stay, there aren't any hotels right in Avella (not too surprising, given the town's small size). There are a few charming bed and breakfasts within easy reach, though. Barn With Inn is about five miles west on PA-50 and offers a homey stay on a working farm, where you can play with animals or go boating on a pond right on the property. The same family runs the Sarah Miller House in nearby Wellsburg, West Virginia, if you'd rather stay in a historic house with shops and restaurants close by. If you're looking for a bit more luxury, head 10 miles east on PA-50 to the 4-star Hickory House Bed & Breakfast. It offers suite-style rooms in a restored home from the Civil War era, with on-site amenities like a hot tub spa and complimentary hot breakfast.