Big Bear Lake planning commission agrees to process Labor Day rodeo application, asks for expanded notice and a sound study

The City of Big Bear Lake Planning Commission voted to accept and process an application to host a pro rodeo and accompanying carnival on Labor Day weekend, giving the applicant direction to provide expanded neighborhood notice and a noise analysis before the matter returns for formal review.

Joel, the event applicant, told the commission the proposal would revive a Big Bear rodeo tradition on Labor Day weekend (Sept. 3—8, 2026) with PRCA sanctioning, televised exposure and family-focused events including youth mutton busting. "So what we're proposing is a pro rodeo," Joel said during a roughly 45-minute presentation in which he described a 5,000-seat cap per performance, carnival components, local-vendor outreach and coordination with Big Bear Mountain Resorts and Visit Big Bear.

Why it matters: Commissioners framed the item as a potential boost to shoulder-season lodging and local vendors but flagged traffic, noise and public-safety risks that staff and the applicant must address before any final permit. Commissioner Biss asked the commission to require "notification to beyond the 500 feet to first couple blocks of each of the residential areas" and to commission a sound study to measure likely decibel impacts on nearby homes; the commission approved adding those items to the motion.

What the applicant proposed and the commission's concerns Joel described plans to engage a national stock contractor…