‘I’ve never been to the arena’: NFR viewing parties abound in Las Vegas

Over the course of 10 nights at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, about 180,000 fans can attend in person.

But easily double that number of people arrive in town each December for the annual Super Bowl of Rodeo.

All those leftover fans can also see plenty of live NFR action, while hearing the same call that fans in the Thomas & Mack Center seats hear each night.

How, you might ask?

Well, there are literally dozens of Wrangler NFR viewing parties/after-parties at venues up and down the Las Vegas Strip, downtown and around the city. All those venues receive a live feed straight from the arena.

And believe me when I say these events are full of faithful fans every night.

Each year, I head out to several of these parties, all in one night. Friday was that night this year, and per usual, the trek did not disappoint.

Let’s take all of you along for the ride.

5:15 p.m., Resorts World

One of the newest properties on the Strip actually hosts multiple viewing parties. So you can find the one that best suits your tastes and attend accordingly.

But last year, I got word that the setup inside Dawg House Saloon was excellent. I checked it out then, and that word was correct. So I return to Dawg House to kick off my Friday night adventures.

On the big screen front-and-center, the feed from the Thomas & Mack Center is just beginning, 45 minutes before NFR Night 3 begins. Seated at the table with the best view in the house are five friends hailing from Wyoming and Nebraska.

They’re in full pregame warm-up mode, downing bar food and adult beverages shortly before Friday’s second go-round begins.

“I usually just drink,” Parker Longbottom jokes, before getting slightly serious about the great setup. “It’s spacious. You got chicken wings. You got beer. We got rodeo. You can’t ask for anything more than that. It’s electric.”

Longbottom then accentuates his final point: “E-lec-tri-ci-ty!”

It’s the second time that Longbottom — from Cheyenne, Wyo. — has attended the NFR, as he also made the trek in 2022. Tara Call, from Mullen, Neb., is out here for the fourth time, but the first since 2018.

She’s impressed, as well.

“This is a good setup. It’s not too crowded, you’ve got big TVs. And there’s good food and good beer,” Call says.

Comments on liquid libations are going to be a common thread throughout this night.

6 p.m., Gilley’s

Let’s face it: You can’t seriously say you checked out NFR viewing parties if you didn’t go to Gilley’s. So that’s stop No. 2 tonight, inside TI Vegas — or as us longtime locals still call it, Treasure Island.

Three generations of family are taking up two four-seat tables right in front of the biggest screen at Gilley’s. To get those seats, they had to arrive 90 minutes before the first saddle bronc busts out of the bucking chutes at the Thomas & Mack.

Brityn Eichinger, in the third generation of this family from Butte, Mont., is on her 11th trip to Vegas for the NFR. So she’s attended a few viewing parties. This one rates quite high.

“I like the atmosphere. There are a lot of other people who love rodeo and are enjoying it,” Eichinger says. “And we’re enjoying the beers and margaritas.”

Colleen Smith, Eichinger’s grandmother, is in town for the rodeo for the 10th straight year. So she’s a viewing party veteran, as well. In fact:

“I’ve never been to the arena. I think you can see the contestants better here.” Smith says, while sipping on a tequila sunrise. “These are good!”

But back to the actual viewing part of this viewing party.

“I come here just because it’s the country bar. Gilley’s is nationally known,” Smith says, noting she enjoys the way the crowd gets into the event. “I just like it when they’re all yelling and cheering for the contestants.”

6:45 p.m., Rio hotel-casino

This is a newcomer to my NFR viewing party travels. And one thing that certainly starts it off on the right foot is free parking. So keep that in mind. It’s a nice perk.

It only gets better once I arrive at the Rio Round-Up, which has a huge footprint in Masquerade Village, on the casino floor.

And it is packed. There are boatloads of fans at this party, of all ages. So while I’m just learning about it, clearly the word has gotten out on this spot.

Emcee Matt Merritt keeps things lively for the throng during NFR commercial breaks, and the crowd is thoroughly into it when the action goes live.

Jenna and Craig Moore are here from Johnson City, Texas, joined by friends Stefanie and Matt Medland from Spring, Texas. It’s Jenna’s 15th trip to Vegas for the NFR, so she’s taken in many viewing parties over those years.

This one is a big-time up-and-comer.

“I think they’re really going in the right direction,” Jenna says. “I like that you have the option to get a VIP tables – get a little food and something to drink.

“They do a really good job of making it authentic. So it feels like you’re at the rodeo. It’s all about authenticity.”

Matt’s been out here for the NFR off and on since 2001, so he’s no viewing party rookie, either. He particularly likes the Rio Round-Up’s emcee.

“Matt Merritt knows what he’s talking about,” he says, before providing some general commentary. “This is all pretty good. Obviously, they’re serving beer.”

Yep, obvious by the fact that there are a few brews on their table.

“I like the facilities here. I’m not complaining. I think it’s awesome,” Matt says.

7:30 p.m., South Point Showroom

No NFR viewing party sojourn is complete without going to the South Point.

As the saying states: It’s where the cowboys go after the rodeo. Cowgirls, too.

It’s also where they go before and during the rodeo. South Point is Cowboy Central throughout the NFR, and the multiple viewing parties are rightly well regarded. There’s a spacious all-ages viewing party in the convention halls, with reasonably priced food and beverage options.

The more raucous party tends to be in the South Point Showroom. It’s worth checking out, no question. So I do, of course.

Jammed into a corner booth is a group of people, most of whom have ties to the Sisters Rodeo in Sisters, Oregon, which is among the more popular rodeos on the summer circuit. Taylie Hammack, 30, has been coming to town for the NFR for 18 years.

Hammack works other viewing parties into her calendar, but more often ends up in the South Point Showroom.

“I was at Caesars’ party Thursday night. It was incredible,” Hammack says. “But the South Point is my favorite. It feels like home. We can all still visit with each other. They have great drinks and great prices.

“We see a lot of the same people each year, too. It feels like a family reunion.”

But if you want to hang with that family, it’ll take some effort.

“You’ve got to get here early if you want the best seats,” Hammack says.

Sisters Rodeo president Scott Talerico, in his fifth year attending the NFR, also always has the Showroom viewing party on his agenda.

“It’s awesome. It’s a great way to watch the NFR. I love the crowd noise, the engagement. The atmosphere is great,” Talerico says while drinking a screwdriver. “There’s not a bad house in the seat.”

Hmm. Perhaps one too many screwdrivers. But his sentiment is correct: There’s not a bad seat in the house.

You really can’t go wrong with any of the myriad NFR viewing parties/after-parties. There’s something to suit everybody.

Check out a few, find your niche, then kick back and enjoy some high-level rodeo.