WHAT IS NFR & COWBOY CHRISTMAS?

It is a 10-day premiere rodeo event and Western gift show in the vibrant city of Las Vegas!

By day, dive into the world of “Cowboy Christmas” at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It’s a massive gift show that’s a total Western wonderland. From cowboy boots to custom-made jewelry, Western-wear, cowboy hats, and even hunting gear and furniture – it’s all there! Best part? No entry fee, and it’s an absolute blast. You can explore it from 9 am to 4 pm every day.

As the sun sets, the Thomas Mack Center comes alive with the National Finals Rodeo. It’s the creme de la creme of rodeos, showcasing the absolute best cowboys, barrel races, and livestock on the planet. Watching these cowboys and cowgirls do their thing is downright INCREDIBLE.

After the rodeo action, there’s a whole lineup of live musical performances. Now, they might require you to burn the midnight oil, and honestly, after 9 pm, this tired Mama was ready for some shut-eye. 😆

But here’s the kicker – you’ll be surrounded by the absolute BEST in Western fashion. The outfits are on another level! It’s like a runway show with a side of great people-watching. And let me tell you, there are some serious outdoor-loving folks in the mix.

So, gear up for an unforgettable blend of rodeo, western fashion, and FUN. Keep reading for some of my tips and highlights.

WHERE TO STAY

I’ve stayed at the Renaissance Las Vegas for the last two years because it’s a two-minute walk to the convention center, where Cowboy Christmas is hosted. It’s nothing flashy but it’s a fairly affordable hotel, compared to other Vegas options (aaaand there’s a Starbucks in the lobby).

TRAVEL

We normally stick to Delta for flights but the departure options from Vegas were either 6 am or a redeye, so we took a chance and booked with Breeze. It was more affordable, had a direct flight midday, and was surprisingly very nice! We had very low expectations going into it, but would definitely fly with them again from Vegas. 

BOOTHS TO VISIT AT COWBOY CHRISTMAS

Here are all the booths Tim and I loved visiting at Cowboy Christmas! If you’re planning on attending this year, CLICK HERE for the 2023 exhibitor list and booth numbers.

• Goldie Lew: my go-to for western-inspired jewelry and cute clothes. A must-stop booth!!
• Warbonnet: the best custom hats and hatbands! Shares the same booth as Goldie Lew. 
• Tecovas: this is a MUST-visit booth! I am absolutely obsessed with their boots.
• Vogt Silversmith: my favorite hand-engraved silver & hand-tooled leather products. I’ve worn their pieces for years and they have an unconditional lifetime guarantee! 
• Canty: they refurbish cowboy boots and make them one-of-a-kind! So unique and I get SO many compliments on mine!
• Lucchese: my favorite luxury cowboy boots around. The quality is incredible and they are the most beautiful, handmade boots. 
• Gigi Pip: casual, everyday western-style hats.
• Dyanne Silver: fun, chunky beaded jewelry with cool pendants! 
• Riche Hippie: fun western-chic apparel and accessories. They missed 2023 but will be back in 2024!
• Beddy’s: the coolest zip-up bedding (works great for RV’s and bunkbeds because it easily zips on!) Plus it comes in super cute western patterns.
• Dakota West: really unique fringe leather jackets & vests. 
• Boot Barn: they have a huge booth with tons of boots and apparel! Hard to miss.
• Rodeo Quincy: a rodeo lifestyle brand with a lot of sparkle, fringe and fun! 
• Ariat: classic cowboy boots and extremely comfortable. 
• American Hat Company: tons of cowboy hat options and they will custom fit them for you on-site
• Leupold: a no-brainer if you love hunting! They have all the latest & greatest hunting optics that you can check out, plus some great apparel.
• RMEF: lots of great outdoor-loving people, cool gear and apparel. Say hi to my friend Riza if you stop in! 
• There are SO many more, but these were some of my faves! They have an NFR app and brochures when you enter the building with all the show info.

THE RODEO FINALS

• The rodeo happens each night during the 10-day event. It’s located at the Thomas Mack Center, so if you stay at the Renaissance hotel, it’s about a 20-minute Uber ride. 
• Get there early to beat the crowd! We arrived around 4:30 pm even though the rodeo didn’t start until 5:45 pm.
• They have a purse policy so check out the Thomas Mack website to see size requirements. 
• It’s SO much fun but tough to get tickets… we ended up buying ours the day-of, so God Speed on finding some. They were pricey ($300 each, but I think there are cheaper ones if you get them ahead of time) but a really fun experience that I’m glad we got to have! 

MORE TIPS

• On the bottom floor of the Cowboy Christmas Convention Center, there is an arena where the youth rodeo events are happening during the day! Check the NFR brochure or website for event times! 
• There are even more overflow booths to visit/shop at some of the other hotels nearby. We didn’t get a chance to go to them but I know Southpoint has 150+ booths as well as some other hotels. 
• In the evenings, if you don’t have tickets to attend the rodeo, lots of the hotels have “viewing parties” in their ballrooms! There are tables and chairs and they show the rodeo for free on the big screens. It’s not as fun as the real thing but still a good option and a LOT cheaper! We watched at Southpoint Casino but I know a lot of other hotels do the same thing. Get there before 5 pm if you want to snag a table because it gets packed!
• Bring a suitcase with extra space because you WILL want to do some shopping at Cowboy Christmas! 

CLICK TO SHOP MY OUTFITS

GO-TO LINKS

• Renaissance Las Vegas – to book your stay.
• Cowboy Christmas – for a list & map of exhibitors.
• National Finals Rodeo – for ticket info, scheduling, after-hours events & more.

Thanks for coming along y’all! Let me know in the comments if you plan on going to the NFR this year! 🤠

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