North Platte's Cody Park was the site of the Old Glory Blowout on July 4, 1882, when North Platte citizens led by a committee including W.F. Cody and Isaac Dillon organized a Fourth of July observance whose highlight took place at the Isaac Dillon race track on the site of today's Cody Park. Activities included bronc riding, steer roping, and horse racing, with cowboys competing for prizes before a large and appreciative audience. This first spectator rodeo earned Cody the title father of rodeo, and many of its events remain important parts of modern rodeo. Its success inspired Cody to organize a traveling Western exhibition, adding new acts including Indians and a band. A first full dress rehearsal was held at Columbus, Nebraska, on May 10, 1883, and the first public appearance of Buffalo Bill's Wild West exhibition took place at Omaha, Nebraska, on May 19, 1883. Over the next three decades, the exhibition appeared before millions of spectators in all 48 states, Canada, and parts of Europe.