FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF)-After years of dreaming of a new home for the Fort Worth Stock Show’s legendary rodeo, a new era will dawn on January 17 when the chutes bust open in Dickies Arena.
“The Stock Show’s new rodeo home will take the sport to a completely new level and be a fan favorite for generations,” said Stock Show President and General Manager, Brad Barnes. “The public-private partnership led by Stock Show Chairman Ed Bass, Mayor Betsy Price and many others has given Fort Worth and North Texas a tremendous gift for not just the Stock Show’s rodeo, but for concerts, sporting events and family shows throughout the year.”
Dickies Arena’s impact on the Stock Show is being felt beyond rodeo. Exciting new events moving into the Will Rogers Coliseum and Auditorium are broadening the Stock Show’s offerings and appealing to a more diverse audience. Spurred by growing popularity, Mustang Magic, with its strong fan following, has been expanded and moved from the Justin Arena to the Coliseum while concerts and a high school Mariachi competition have been added in the Auditorium. Music acts booked for the Auditorium include the popular classic rock band, Foreigner and a new country a capella group, Home Free. An Escaramuza competition adds a cultural flair while a High School Scholarship Rodeo and a Bucking Bull Sale maintain the traditional feel in the beloved Coliseum.
While there’s plenty of new in store for 2020, traditional Stock Show entertainment options remain popular. Livestock and equestrian competitions are on tap as well as acres of “rodeo shopping” that includes everything from fashion to farm equipment. Family fun remains popular with the Mattress Firm Petting Zoo, Children’s Barnyard, Carnival Midway, Texas Farm Bureau Insurance’s Planet Agriculture and the always popular Milking Parlor. The food is always a favorite with everything from corn dogs to cotton candy and cuisine fit for king at Reata at the Backstage or Reata at the Rodeo. The atmosphere around the Will Rogers Memorial Center complex is never more vibrant than when the legendary Stock Show is in town.
When guests gaze across the Stock Show grounds and downtown Fort Worth from the Simmons Bank Plaza at Dickies Arena they’ll be reminded why Fort Worth and the Stock Show & Rodeo are both truly legendary. Visitors there can relax with a glass of wine at the new Corkyard or enjoy a brew and some awesome tunes in the Bud Light Roadhouse before they step into the nation’s premier venue for rodeo, the new Dickies Arena. Rodeo has been a Fort Worth mainstay for 102 years, but the new FWSSR PRORODEO Tournament is taking the Stock Show’s rodeo to new heights among the most elite in the nation. With a payout exceeding $1 million and an easy-to-follow bracket-style tournament, the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo starts an exciting new era in Dickies Arena.
Matt Brockman with the Stock Show said they’re also adding new tech features this year, including a center hung screen. “This screen in the center of the Dickie’s Arena weighs as much as 12 Chevy Pickup trucks and has more pixels than 21 times the population of Fort Worth,” said Brockman. “The nation’s second largest 360 degree continuous display, it’s going to bring the vividness and the action from the floor right there in front of you,” he said.
Brockman said the screen will also be used for crowd interaction and games. “Once you get in an connect to the WIFI through the app, you can play games, guess the scores of the bull rides and you can actually win prizes,” he said.
Brockman says with more entertainment, more space and more food options, The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo will be able cater to a lot more people. He said ticket sales are already soaring!
It begins 1/17 and ends 2/8.
For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.fwssr.com.
