The Reno Rodeo rides into town this week, bringing hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls ready to show off their skills.
All the wild bull-riding, barrel racing, and mutton busting starts up this Thursday, and crews are working around the clock to get the arena ready.
"We are cleaning up, making sure everything is painted and nice, and the box seats are taken care of, making sure the chutes are operational, getting signs put up," Rodeo Communications Director Steve Schroeder said. "It is the last-minute fixes."
The stands are empty now, but in just a few days they will be filled with boot-wearing, cheering fans. In fact, rodeo officials expect more than 150,000 people to fill the seats over the 10 days of the event. Add to the fans more than 900 athletes, and that means as much as a $42 million boost to Reno's economy.
But transportation for this year's event is posing a little bit of a challenge, with road construction on the freeway clogging up the normal routes to the rodeo grounds.
"The road construction currently taking place on I-80 has closed some of the exits and entrances to the highways," Schroeder said. "It's going to cause quite a bit of congestion for our fans."
Rodeo officials have alternate routes planned to get there no matter which direction you are coming from. To see all the options, click here.
Written by Arianna Bennett
