Thought and Musings ‘Bout The Asphalt Cowboys Roaring Gulch Pancake Breakfast

You know what would be fun to do regarding the Asphalt Cowboys?  Find out how many of them were taken, in 1948, in the grasps of their Moms and Dads, to the very first Redding Rodeo; Or six years later, how many of them were bubbling over with excitement when they were chowing down “great tastin’” fluffy pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage with Mom and Dad, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, at the very first Asphalt Cowboys Pancake Breakfast, started in 1954 as one of the Redding Rodeo week activities.

That very first Asphalt Cowboys Pancake Breakfast was held downtown near the Cascade Theater, when about 700 Shasta County residents were served, ballooning to over 1,000 by the time the '50s turned into the ’60s. Fast forward to Friday, May 15, 2026, when the 72nd version of the Asphalt Cowboys Pancake Breakfast was unveiled in downtown Redding’s Promenade on historic Market Street (old Hwy. 99!), near the brand new Redding Public Market, in front of the Whistlestop Stage. 

If you were there that warm and inviting Saturday morning, between 5 and 10 o’clock, you would’ve probably brushed a shoulder, or at least gawked at dozens of yellow-shirted Asphalt Cowboys cookin’—and servin’—upwards of 30,000 pancakes to an estimated 10,000 hungry people, using an estimated 1,000 pounds of pancake mix to accomplish such a herculean task.

The Asphalt Cowboys is a volunteer philanthropic organization founded in 1953.  “We aim to keep Western tradition alive,” remarked Asphalt Cowboys president, Dave Tappan, “while supporting local activities and scholarships, and we’re proud that many consider the Asphalt Cowboys Pancake Breakfast the largest (outdoor!) breakfast in the country.”