Its Almost Rodeo Time! NFR 2015

It’s that time of the year that I have to warn the readers of The Vegas Tourist about.  You may have just downed the last turkey leg and may be wondering about the kids’s Christmas list.  But around here, Christmas is about to hit early.  The end of November in Las Vegas can only mean one thing; Its Almost Rodeo Time.  2015 National Finals Rodeo to be exact. WNFR.  Cowboys. Wranglers Jeans and horses.

But wait… there’s More!!  The NFR runs December 3 to the 12.  NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champions Week will be December 2-4.  NASCAR’s top drivers will be here for autograph sessions, meet & greets as well as the ever-popular  NASCAR Victory Lap down the Las Vegas Strip on December 3.  (burnouts assured but not guaranteed!)   NASCAR Champions Week Schedule

So that means I will be very busy for ten days straight reporting on rodeo events, NASCAR events and other related events that happen at the same time. I will be doing this for other media outlets and will be posting the updates on The Vegas Tourist blog, Facebook and Instagram profiles.  So just be warned!

Vegas Goes Country

The NFR hits town as just about everything else dies off for the winter.  Most pools are closed, no major conventions, no other major concerts or sporting events.  So this is kind of like our swan song for the year.  A big, cash cow and country fest to hold us over until Christmas and New Years.  And we love it.  Well, many of us who live here like it because it is a fun time that lasts 10 days and everyone is invited.  Most of the casinos get in on the action, dealers get to get into the western attire and be a little more relaxed.  All the concert venues are filled with country superstars.  And the cowboys are natural gamblers as well as many of their supporters.  So its a big deal all the way around town.

Over at the major convention centers, they have a variety of versions of Cowboy Christmas.  The actual NFR sponsored Cowboy Christmas is taking over the south hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. It’s free and open to the public to shop, browse and be entertained.

The move to the South Halls and the partnership with the RMEF Hunter Christmas Expo provides the potential to grow the shows to more than 900,000 square feet of exhibit, retail and interactive space.

The Cowboy Christmas Gift Show and Cowboy FanFest brought record crowds to the Las Vegas Convention Center over the ten days in 2014. Total attendance reached 200,179, surpassing the previous record attendance of 196,856 set in 2013.

Shopping Beyond Imagination

The official Cowboy Christmas is just one of the shopping events held during the NFR.  Filling up the convention space at Mandalay bay is the Cowboy Marketplace.  But wait… there’s more shopping to be had during NFR!  The MGM is NSR World with shopping and events and the Sands Expo Center (The Venetian) can’t be left out so they hold  Country Christmas.

As with any major event that takes over Las Vegas, this is a well-oiled machine that knows how to keep people moving, entertained and engaged! We’ve been doing it for over 30 years now.

• All the NFR details are here 
• Free NFR Shuttle Info
• Who’s Playing Where in Las Vegas?
• Get Rodeo Tickets Here!

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(Photos: Tom Donoghue)