Nevada Governor Sisolack’s politically motivated closure of Nevada’s economy claims another major event. The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) announced its decision to hold the 2020 event in Texas.
The annual ten-day event is contracted to take place in Las Vegas until 2025. In exchange for this move, one year has been added to the Las Vegas contract.
The governor’s restrictions limiting seating and ticket sales to live events amid the coronavirus pandemic made it impossible to hold the event here. (Exceptions are made for BLM and Anti-Police protests and riots, of course)
“The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) on Wednesday announced that the event is moving to Texas in December 2020. It will be held at Arlington’s Globe Life Field, marking the first non-baseball event to be held at the park.”
The NFR 2020 will be held at Globe Life Field, which has a retractable roof and seats 40,300 people, is the new home stadium of the Rangers MLB team.
The annual event got its start inTexas in 1959. before it moved to Los Angeles, Oklahoma City. Finally, the boosters of Las Vegas resorts got together and brought there in 1985, and its been here ever since.
The event has an economic impact of an estimated $200 million every year and jobs for hundreds of Las Vegas residents. Small business owners and tour related freelancers see this as the last big event of the year and the final time to make any money before we go into hibernation for the rest of the year. Tour season usually starts back up in late March, early April.
As well as the actual rodeo, Cowboy Christmas, the annual western shopping extravaganza, is also moving to Fort Worth for the 2020 event. Cowboy Christmas for Las Vegas is a 440,000-square-foot shopping and interactive experience that takes over the Las Vegas Convention Center.
With more than 350 exhibitors from across the United States, Cowboy Christmas caters to the Western lifestyle and includes live entertainment, specialty food and beverage, and Western exhibits. Meaning a lot of extra sales tax revenue is gone as well.
Organizers for the Texas 2020 event said that seats will be sold in groups of four with proper separation between the groups. Contact-limiting measures, such as mobile tickets, have also been implemented throughout the event. Plus, there will be a mask requirement at all times while inside Globe Life Field. Additional handwashing and sanitizing stations placed throughout the building, officials said.
Dates: Wrangler NFR is scheduled to return to Las Vegas, December 2-11, 2021
Editors Note:
If I sound Pissed Off, I am. There is no reason, other than his usual desire to play politics, for this and other events to not happen in Nevada. His desire to hurt the Las Vegas economy strictly for political points is hurting families and killing jobs. Fourteen days to flatten the curve ended five months ago and the curve is so flat now it’s bending the other way!
Official Name of Event: Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR)
Photo: Tom Donoghue
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