Organizers with the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo are preparing for its big return after the pandemic canceled its 2021 show.
The 2022 show will run from Jan. 14 through Feb. 5. Matt Brockman, communications manager for FWSSR, said they will have 25 rodeo performances and more than 300 vendors. Tickets for some shows have sold out already, Brockman said.
“There’s a lot of pent excitement. Pent up demand, I think. People are anxious to get out here,” he said Thursday. “Our entries in our livestock shows and horse shows and things like that have been really strong.”
Masks and vaccines are not required for visitors, Brockman said. They will have masks and hand sanitizer in high-traffic areas of the Will Rogers Memorial Center complex for guests who want them. Tarrant County Public Health will also be on-site to provide a COVID-19 vaccine clinic, along with members from the Fort Worth Fire Department who will be able to provide testing. Both will operate for the show’s entire 23-day run.
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FDA-approved disinfectants are also used across the complex, Brockman said.
“We’ve been dealing with this pandemic for what, a year and a half? Almost two years now. People know what to do. People know what they need to do to protect themselves, protect their loved ones, and protect others,” he said. “I want people to feel comfortable knowing that the stock show is doing its part. The Will Rogers Memorial Center is doing its part. Our guests, I’m confident will do their part to keep themselves and others safe.”
Tom Grace, owner of TCG Food Services, will have six food sites at the show this year. He and his team were on day five of set-up Thursday.
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“Each one has to plan everything from the structure to the plumbing, to the electrical. Every aspect of a restaurant. That’s what we do for 15 days before the event opens. Get restaurants ready,” Grace said. “This is the hard part. When we get this part done, it’s a big sigh of relief. It’s…come on, let’s feed people. That’s easy.”
This will be the 12th year Grace’s company will be serving as a vendor at the show in Fort Worth. Over the past two years, he said there has been a lot of uncertainty for businesses like his that depend on events.
“This is what we do for a living. We were one of the ones that were hunkered down, shut down and holding our breath and waiting until we had an opportunity to get back open,” he said. “This is a breath of life for my family and I. This is what I do.”
Typically, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo draws about 1.2 million people. For more information, click here.
