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Plaza reports strong turnout at El Dorado Days Rodeo; organizers plan ticketing and carnival after sponsorship gap
Summary
Plaza Hotel and Casino presenters said the 2024 El Dorado Days Rodeo drew packed bleachers and growing engagement, but exact attendance was not available because entry was not ticketed; organizers plan ticketing, a carnival and other revenue steps for 2025 to offset a $50,000 funding drop.
Michelle Evans, vice president of sales, catering and the Core Arena, and Natasha White, director of marketing for the Plaza Hotel and Casino, presented the commission with a final report on the 2024 El Dorado Days Rodeo.
Evans and White said the rodeo maintained the same eight PRCA/WPR-sanctioned events, featured trick riders and several contestants who competed at the National Finals Rodeo, and provided 10,000 free RSVPs plus about 604 paid VIP tickets priced at $20. Organizers credited sponsors such as Larry's Great Western Meats and US Foods for donating food for contestant barbecues and noted several monetary sponsors that funded flags, posters and other enhancements.
Presenters said seating capacity inside the arena is roughly 3,000 and that bleachers were full with additional standing-room attendees, but they also said they could not provide a precise door-count because gates and multiple entry points were open. Commissioner Louise Helton pressed for exact attendance counts; presenters responded that 2025 will be fully ticketed, which will allow them to provide firm numbers.
For 2025 the Plaza plans to charge admission for the rodeo portion while keeping a carnival open to the public with separate ride-ticketing. Presenters said the commission’s grant funding to the rodeo will drop by $50,000 in the coming year and that the ticketing and additional sponsorships are part of a plan to cover that shortfall while maintaining the event. The presentation included specialty nights—youth night and military appreciation—and noted the rodeo was named Nevada Wilderness PRCA Circuit Small Rodeo of the Year for the second consecutive year.
The presentation was informational and did not require a commission vote.
