View Full Version : IFR and Garden Show at the fairgrounds this weekend



Praedura
01-17-2013, 08:39 AM
International Finals Rodeo at the state fairgrounds this weekend

International Finals Rodeo and Miss Rodeo USA Pageant (http://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/event-25895-international-finals-rodeo.html)


Also, the Oklahoma City Home and Garden show at the fairgrounds too

Oklahoma City Home & Garden Show to have more than 500 exhibitors | NewsOK.com (http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-home-garden-show-to-have-more-than-500-exhibitors/article/3744252)


Busy weekend at the fairgrounds!

Praedura
01-17-2013, 08:53 AM
Incidentally, although we have the IFR here in town, OKC used to have the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) which is the real grandaddy event.

I couldn't remember the details, but here's a few snippets from wikipedia
National Finals Rodeo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Finals_Rodeo)



The first NFR was held in Dallas in 1959 and continued at that venue through 1961. In 1962-64 Los Angeles hosted the competition.

Oklahoma City successfully bid in 1964 to be the host city. In 1965 the first NFR in State Fair Arena drew 47,027 fans. NFR remained there through 1978 and there through 1984 at the Myriad Convention Center bringing Oklahoma merchants an estimated annual revenue of $8 million dollars.

In 1984, the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, bid for the event.

Although the Oklahoma City Council considered building a new $30 million arena at the State Fairgrounds, the Las Vegas bid won. Since 1985 the NFR has been held in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The NFR has become Thomas & Mack Center arena’s biggest client, bringing in more than 170,000 fans during the 10-day event.



and




Oklahoma City has bid to return the NFR to Oklahoma, but is always outbid by the deep pockets of Las Vegas. However, starting in 2011, Oklahoma City will become host city of the DNCFR, which is the Finals for the PRCA's semi-pro series. This is seen as a step towards proving the crowds exist to bring the NFR back to Oklahoma City when Las Vegas' current contract ends in 2014.[2] Also, the recent opening of the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, which is larger than the Thomas & Mack Center, may influence future bidding.



'Twould be cool for OKC to get this event back again. I'm not a rodeo guy myself, but I remember years ago when we had the NFR that
a lot of people I met (work associates, friends of family, etc.) would talk about it and did attend. It was a big deal. We're talking
huge amounts of tourists dollars.

onthestrip
01-17-2013, 09:13 AM
Can anyone that has been to the Home and Garden show before comment on what kind of vendors are there. Is it mostly garden and landscaping people or are there booths with home building products/equipment such as alternative energy systems like geo thermal?

kelroy55
01-17-2013, 09:18 AM
Can anyone that has been to the Home and Garden show before comment on what kind of vendors are there. Is it mostly garden and landscaping people or are there booths with home building products/equipment such as alternative energy systems like geo thermal?

Might find them here Oklahoma City Home & Garden Show (http://www.oklahomacityhomeshow.com/OKCHGS/EventsHome.aspx)

boscorama
01-17-2013, 07:33 PM
Can anyone that has been to the Home and Garden show before comment on what kind of vendors are there. Is it mostly garden and landscaping people or are there booths with home building products/equipment such as alternative energy systems like geo thermal?

It's a hodgepodge. Really a good show if you don't mind the crowd that ate up New York. I'm hoping to go on Friday or not at all.

boscorama
01-17-2013, 07:36 PM
Incidentally, although we have the IFR here in town, OKC used to have the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) which is the real grandaddy event.

I couldn't remember the details, but here's a few snippets from wikipedia
National Finals Rodeo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Finals_Rodeo)




and





'Twould be cool for OKC to get this event back again. I'm not a rodeo guy myself, but I remember years ago when we had the NFR that
a lot of people I met (work associates, friends of family, etc.) would talk about it and did attend. It was a big deal. We're talking
huge amounts of tourists dollars.

The only rodeo I've ever attended was NFR in 1978. Impressive!

ljbab728
01-17-2013, 09:13 PM
The only rodeo I've ever attended was NFR in 1978. Impressive!

I was never a rodeo fan but the company I worked for had tickets and I took clients there a number of times. The thing I remember most was hearing Reba sing the National Anthem before anyone knew who she was.

boscorama
01-18-2013, 07:33 PM
I was never a rodeo fan but the company I worked for had tickets and I took clients there a number of times. The thing I remember most was hearing Reba sing the National Anthem before anyone knew who she was.

I, too, had tickets from a corporate sponsor. Box seats, no less.