Get ready for twangers (LeAnn Rimes, Merle Haggard), ropers and riders at Las Vegas’ rodeo finals
You know it’s rodeo time in Las Vegas when casino cocktail waitresses swap their skimpy costumes for flannel shirts and blue jeans.
Thousands of cowboys and cowgirls will saddle up their pickups for the drive to southern Nevada for the National Finals Rodeo on Dec. 3-12 in Las Vegas. Many of the finest rodeo competitors will be riding and roping in pursuit of big cash prizes.
Vegas becomes a sea of Stetsons for rodeo action that gets underway at 6:45 each evening at the Thomas & Mack Center on the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus. Among the events are bareback riding, steer wrestling and barrel racing.
A limited selection of seats is still available online or by calling (702) 739-3267.
Throughout the Las Vegas Valley, a slew of rodeo-related activities will take place at a variety of venues. Here’s a sampling:
Concerts
At MGM Grand free entertainment is planned each night. The acts include Clay Walker (Dec. 3), A Thousand Horses (Dec. 9) and the Cadillac Three (Dec. 10).
Singer LeAnn Rimes, shown at he CMA 2015 Country Christmas on Nov. 7, will perform Dec. 9 at Las Vegas’ Golden Nugget.
Downtown, the lineup at the Golden Nugget includes Tanya Tucker (Dec. 3), Trace Adkins (Dec. 5), Merle Haggard (Dec. 7 and 8) and LeAnn Rimes (Dec. 9).
Culinary experiences
Get high on the hog Dec. 4 and 5 at Emeril Lagasse’s Delmonico Steakhouse at the Venetian. The restaurant will feature a “nose-to-tail hog dinner” whose offerings include confit pork shoulder ($39) and for dessert, a spiced bacon waffle with brown sugar bacon ice cream ($12).
Gear
Pop-up stores filled with western gear are must-visits for many fans.
They include Cowboy Christmas at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cowboy Marketplace at Mandalay Bay.
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