Junior World Finals Rodeo & More Added to Central Halls at Las Vegas Convention Center

LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas Events (LVE) announced today the expansion of The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas and RMEF’s Hunter & Outdoor Christmas (HOC) into Central Halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The new area – Junior World Finals Rodeo & More – will feature additional exhibitors and the Wrangler Rodeo Arena, home of the YETI Junior World Finals.

The expansion into Central Halls is precipitated by both the growth in attendance at The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas and HOC and the ongoing renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

From Dec. 7 – 16, rodeo fans will experience all the shopping and interactive elements of The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas and HOC on both Levels 1 and 2 of South Halls, as well as the new area in Central Halls. In 2022, these shows attracted 279,465 attendees over ten days. The ongoing renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center includes a redesign of the east entrance, thus the move of the Ariat Rodeo Live Stage to Level 2. The live stage includes daily performances and entertainment, including Outside the Barrel with Flint Rasmussen and Cowboy Revival with host Shane Minor.

“Over the last two years, our attendees and exhibitors have seen huge crowds at the Las Vegas Convention Center,” said Bo Gardner, LVE vice president of corporate marketing. “Working with our partners at the convention center, we have the opportunity to expand our footprint in 2023 for The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas and the RMEF’s Hunter Outdoor Christmas expos. Without disrupting the exhibitor layout on the first level of South Halls, we were able to relocate the Ariat Rodeo Live Stage to the second level of South Halls and expand our footprint in Central Halls 1 and 2 with the YETI Junior World Finals, as well as additional exhibitors and activations calling it Junior World Finals Rodeo & More.”

Junior World Finals Rodeo & More will include the 1,200-seat Wrangler Rodeo Arena and additional exhibitors. The YETI Junior World Finals will run concurrently with The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas and HOC with competitions in nine rodeo events running daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The additional 150,000+ square feet of space will be home to both the RMEF’s Hunter Outdoor Christmas and The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas existing and new exhibitors along with a new Bites & Brews and additional bar locations. In addition, the YETI Junior World Finals will have its own staging lot, opening additional parking for attendees.

“This is all very exciting news, and we want to thank both the Las Vegas Convention Center and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for being great partners through this process,” Gardner continued.

The shopping and entertainment available for rodeo fans at The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas and the Junior World Finals Rodeo & More is part of the December tradition that marks the annual return of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo® in Las Vegas. The Wrangler NFR will return to the Thomas & Mack Center, Dec. 7-16.

Known as the richest and most prestigious rodeo in the world, the Wrangler NFR attracts the top 15 contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding to compete for a share of the increased purse and the coveted PRCA Gold Buckle. In 2022, the event had a total attendance of 173,350 over the 10 days of competition at the Thomas & Mack Center and has sold out more than 350 consecutive performances in Las Vegas.

For more information on the Wrangler NFR, please visit NFRexperience.com or through social media at @LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR. For the latest ProRodeo news and Wrangler NFR coverage, please visit prorodeo.com or through social media @PRCA_ProRodeo.