David Becker/Las Vegas News Bureau
Will Lummus of Mississippi makes a victory lap after competing in the steer wrestling event during the fifth go-round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center Monday, Dec. 10, 2018, in Las Vegas. The top 15 PRCA contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping and bull riding, plus barrel racing, qualified to compete in what is commonly referred to as the “super bowl of rodeo.”
Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022 | 2 a.m.
There’s a distinct Western feel around Las Vegas this time of year, with casino patrons awash in denim, flannel, cowboy hats and big, shiny belt buckles.
The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, a competition and cowboy culture hoedown, pulls into town for more than a week each December.
This year’s festivities — which include Cowboy Christmas, a Western expo and shopping experience at the Las Vegas Convention Center — run today through Dec. 10. The main attraction, the rodeo, is contested nightly in front of 16,672 fans at the Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV.
The NFR attracts the sport’s top bareback riders, steer wrestlers, team ropers, saddle bronc riders, barrel racers and bull riders.
Last year’s rodeo and associated events had an economic impact of about $181 million on the region, according to Las Vegas Events, which helps put on the rodeo. This year’s events are expected to pack about the same punch, organizers said.
“This is the best two weeks of the year,” said Ryan Growney, general manager of the South Point, one of the busiest resorts during the rodeo. “It’s insane for us. It goes on for probably 15 or 16 days here.”
Cowboy Christmas underway at convention center
In conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo, the annual Cowboy Christmas gift show will take over more than 440,000 square feet of the Las Vegas Convention Center, with 350 exhibitors offering western wares and apparel, handmade jewelry, original art, home goods and specialty foods.
The event, which in 2021 was attended by 232,595 attendees, also offers an interactive rodeo experience.
And debuting this year is the Cowboy Christmas Village, a festive area including a holiday-themed photo walls, a 12-foot Christmas tree with a tiny train and village, and daily appearances from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. by Santa Claus.
At the South Point, which boasts some of the top equestrian facilities in the region, there’s a commitment to welcome rodeo fans.
The resort’s owner, Michael Gaughan, is a longtime rodeo supporter and a member of the Wrangler NFR Committee and the Las Vegas Events board. He was one of the main advocates for the push to bring the NFR to Las Vegas in 1985.
This year, the purse for the rodeo is just under $11 million, about 10 times what it was in 1985, when the event moved to Las Vegas from Oklahoma City.
In 2020, the NFR took place in Texas because of coronavirus health and safety restrictions in Nevada but returned to Las Vegas last year.
Ahead of the official start of the rodeo, the South Point hosted the Miss Rodeo America Pageant on Monday. It also is home to the World Series of Team Roping.
“We’re Vegas cowboy and cowgirl central all year long, but this is our Super Bowl,” Growney said. “We’ll have NFR viewing parties throughout our property. … Every square inch of the South Point is dedicated to the NFR right now, all day and all night.”
Lori Nelson-Kraft, a spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said large-scale events such as the NFR are an economic jackpot, especially as tourism slows around the holidays.
“Our resorts benefit from greater visitation during a traditionally slower travel period, and local businesses also thrive by providing goods and services to the resorts and event itself,” she said.
At Ferraro’s Ristorante, a family-run Italian restaurant within walking distance from the Thomas & Mack, the rodeo crowd started showing up earlier this week, owner Gino Ferraro said.
To cater to the rodeo crowd, the restaurant will open an hour early — at 4 p.m. — through the end of the rodeo festivities.
“I love the cowboys,” Ferraro said. “The rodeo is the only thing we have going right now besides the different holiday parties for companies. For 10 days when the rodeo is going on, you can’t get a reservation in our restaurant. The NFR is a great thing for Las Vegas in December because it is kind of a dead period.”
A lot of Las Vegas shows are also geared toward rodeo fans while the NFR is in town.
This year’s lineup includes country music stars Luke Bryan at Resorts World, Tanya Tucker at the Golden Nugget, Lainey Wilson at the Mirage, Gary Allan at the Virgin, George Strait at T-Mobile Arena and Miranda Lambert at Planet Hollywood.
Starting today, the Strat will host meet-and-greets with rodeo contestants and feature rodeo-themed cocktails and dishes at some of its restaurants and bars.
“The NFR is a huge deal for Las Vegas,” said Stephen Thayer, vice president and general manager of the Strat. “The folks who come for the rodeo, they really take advantage of all that Las Vegas has to offer. They enjoy all the events, they drink, they hit the gaming floor, they go to shows. We see it at our businesses from start to finish every year.”
Richard “Boz” Bosworth — president and CEO of JC Hospitality, which owns the Virgin, said the rodeo “brings a palpable energy to our city” and is “one of the biggest economic drivers for Las Vegas.”
