America’s 250th birthday celebration combined bull-riding, drone shows and flyovers

On Saturday night, the “final frontier” met the “Western frontier.”

The United States Air Force Academy hosted a 250th birthday bash, leaning into the history and the future of the American “frontier” with themes of cowboys and outer space.

Cars marched like ants onto academy grounds on Saturday night, bringing some 31,000 civilians and military members together on base at Falcon Stadium, according to the Air Force Falcons.

The event kicked off with a Thunderbird flyover and parachute landing, a tradition for USAFA events that shook concertgoers in their tightly packed, plastic stadium seats. Fans shifted around from back pain but waited in anticipation of the “Space Cowboys.”

Three teams of professional bull riders — Star Command (STARCOM), Team Combat Forces and Team Space Systems — faced off in groups of 10 for an 8-second ride honoring the U.S. Space Force and Space Force Guardians.

Team Star Command commanded promising numbers early on with the crowd going wild for riders that stayed on their bulls for the full 8 seconds. National Rodeo Hall of Fame rodeo clown, Flint Rasmussen, kept the momentum throughout the show.

Themes of patriotism extended beyond just military service and fans sporting American flag merch. Event organizers with PBR repeatedly highlighted one cowboy’s ride of becoming a U.S. citizen, leading his team to an overtly patriotic victory.

Team Star Command captain Lucas Divino from Nova Crixas, Brazil, accepted the belt as the 2026 PBR Space Cowboys Champions on behalf of his team, sharing a message to the crowd of more than 30,000.

“When I got here (the United States), I had a goal. I wanted to become a citizen. Later, when God opens the doors for me, I wanted to show the world that God is real and he’s still alive,” said Divino, who had recently gained his U.S. citizenship. “If you have a dream, chase it. But don’t forget one thing: Put God in the center. He doesn’t want the corners. Put him in the center of your life.”

As the sun went down and the night sky grew dark, fans finally filed into their seats, withstanding the back pain for a good view. Tiny, white string lights lit up the rims of silver, space cowboy hats, as heads around began to illuminate.

The scale of the collective effervescence took hold, as the gates opened for general admission and fans filed into the bull-riding arena, cowboy boots to dirt.

When the concert finally began, Tim McGraw immediately set the tone of the show, opening up with a full band of electric, acoustic and string guitars, which carried a sharp and edgy sound that carried through the crowd.

He took the stage as the melodies of “Truck Yeah” blasted through the speakers, and the crowd cheered with excitement as he began singing.

While this was my first stadium concert, I was struck by the energy of the crowd, their sheer scale, the theatrics, the lighting and the thrill of singing along with McGraw, an artist whose discography I grew up knowing and loving.

After finishing his first song, McGraw took to the mic to acknowledge the crowd, the military members, the high altitude and his age. In a short monologue, McGraw apologized to his audience for a breathy voice, which he attributed both to his age and the venue’s altitude, promising to deliver a show that would please his fans, old and new.

“We’re gonna play some old songs for you. ’Cause I’m old,” McGraw said, as the crowd laughed. “And we’re gonna play some new songs for you ’cause I’m not that old.”

Some fans who attended the show commented on social media videos following McGraw’s performance with disappointment at the vocal performance.

But from my point of view, their commentary seemed to overlook the overarching themes.

His set list consisted of old songs like Everywhere, Just to See You Smile and Over and Over. He also mixed in songs off his recent albums, including Song for America, and finishing the show with Live Like You Were Dying.

McGraw often let the crowd carry the chorus of their favorite songs, like a big karaoke. His energy remained high as he danced around the stage, signed autographs on old CDs and played guitar.

Was it McGraw’s greatest performance? It depends on who you ask. What’s indisputable was the energy was undoubtedly patriotic — and high.