Cowboy Christmas

Cowboy Christmas 2010 comes to Las Vegas

Thanksgiving is past and Christmas is just a few weeks away which means Las Vegas turns into the city of the National Finals Rodeo. Whether you have tickets for the rodeo or just want to do some shopping Cowboy Christmas is one of the best times you can have in Las Vegas. Contrary to what the ads say this part of what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas.

Even if you're not going to make it to Las Vegas this go-round you can follow the action from the NFR list on Twitter.

Here's a round-up of the various major gift-shows and sales going on:

Cowboy Christmas 2009 in Las Vegas

If you're in town for the National Finals Rodeo or just want to do some shopping Cowboy Christmas is one of the best times you can have in Las Vegas. And contrary to what the ads say this part of what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas.

  • The Las Vegas Convention Center hosts the Cowboy Christmas Gift Show which is open 10AM - 5PM daily from Thursday, December 3 through Saturday, December 12 at the Las Vegas Convention Center this show bills itself as "longest running and only “Original” gift show of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo." The convention center is easy to get to on the Monorail as well making it hassle-free to get to.
  • My personal favorite the Ariat Country Christmas Western Gift Expo returns for the 16th year at the Sands Convention Center and runs from Friday, December 3 - Sunday, December 13. Their site doesn't give hours but it's safe to assume they will be similar daytime hours. The Ariat Country Christmas is the only of the three to be open on Sunday Dec 13.

Cowboy Christmas 2008 edition in Las Vegas

Each day folks stop by looking for information on Cowboy Christmas so I guess it's never to early to post information about the 2008 show.

  • The Las Vegas Convention Center hosts the Cowboy Christmas Gift Show which is open 10AM - 5PM daily from Thursday, December 4 through Saturday, December 13 at the Las Vegas Convention Center this show bills itself as "longest running and only “Original” gift show of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo"
  • My personal favorite the Ariat Country Christmas Western Gift Expo returns for the 15th year at the Sands Convention Center and runs from Friday, December 4 - Sunday, December 14. Their site doesn't give hours but it's safe to assume they will be similar daytime hours.
  • The Mandalay Bay Convention Center will again play host to the Cowboy Marketplace Western Lifestyle Expo December 5 - 13
  • So whether you're headed to Las Vegas for the NFR or just for some holiday shopping it should be a great time in Vegas again this year.

Hey there rodeo fans

If you're coming to Las Vegas this December for the National Finals Rodeo or just to check out Cowboy Christmas there are several other things that might be fun to do while you're in town. None of the suggestions I'll post in the following weeks should keep anyone from making donations to the Nevadans Don't Like To Pay Taxes fund at your local casino.

However, if you'd like to find some off-the-beaten-path things to do while you're in Sin City then consider taking at trip to the Ethyls Chocolate Factory and cactus garden. Although the company has a new name their facility has been a Las Vegas favorite for more than 25 years -- longer than some casinos last in this town. The trip will leave you with plenty of time to get back for the nightly performance at the Thomas & Mack and will provide a glimpse of 300+ desert species in a four-acre sanctuary. Oh and you can sample chocolates at the factory while you're there.

Cowboy Christmas 2007 in Las Vegas

It is that time of year again. The leaves are turning and the pumpkins are dotting the streets. With the World Series underway folks are starting to look towards Cowboy Christmas along with the 2007 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Here's a roundup of the gift shows going on around Rodeo Time.

  • The Las Vegas Convention Center hosts the Cowboy Christmas Gift Show which is open 10AM - 5PMdaily from December 6 through December 15 at the Las Vegas Convention Center this show bills itself as "longest running and ONLY “Original” gift show of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo"
  • My personal favorite the Ariat Country Christmas Western Gift Expo returns for the 14th year at the Sands Convention Center and runs from December 6 - December 16. Their site doesn't give hours but it's safe to assume they will be similar daytime hours.

Cowboy Christmas

We spent the last couple of days at the various Cowboy Christmas shows in Las Vegas. It is amazing how difficult these places make it to find information. There is a Cowboy Marketplace at the Mandalay Bay convention center. There are ads on plenty of taxi cabs in Vegas, but not a single page on their website says a word about it.

So I'll say a word about it. Skip it. The Ariat Country Christmas at the Sands Expo Convention Center is great. There's something for everybody and some great booths. The Marketplace, however, is more of the home shopping informercial in 3D than anything truly western. Sure there are some of the herbalist quacks at other places, but they, along with the massage pillows and food-processor sales make up most of the booths at the Marketplace.

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