National Finals Rodeo promises economic win, chances of super-spreader COVID event
Virus and public health experts say an event on the scale of the National Finals Rodeo — dubbed the Super Bowl of rodeos — could be one of the riskiest ventures the Fort Worth area has embarked on yet in the age of the novel coronavirus.
The 2020 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is scheduled for Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington after virus restrictions forced the major rodeo to relocate from Las Vegas. It promises to bring tens of thousands of rodeo fans to the Fort Worth area, setting up a potential for so-called “super-spreader” events.
But the influx of tourists may be a major economic win for Tarrant County during a time of decreased spending. The National Finals Rodeo could bring $100 million to Arlington and Fort Worth, according to projections released in September. That’s a big boost given the depressed tourism market this year.
While capacity will be limited at Globe Life Field, multiple events will draw thousands of people to Fort Worth. Auxiliary events are scheduled for the Fort Worth Convention Center, the Will Rogers complex and the Stockyards. The city is working on a plan to help businesses and event organizers mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The rodeo and related events pose one of the highest risks to spreading the coronavirus, said Diane Cervantes, director of HSC Fort Worth’s epidemiology department, who advised people to not attend unless “absolutely necessary.”
Texas A&M University-Texarkana virologist Benjamin Neuman said the nature of Globe Life Field and social distancing at the park may make the rodeo itself among the safest of the events planned. Officials have not said whether the roof will be closed.
Other smaller events could be the catalyst for “a number of small super-spreader events,” he cautioned
“It would just be mixing a lot of potentially infected people there,” Neuman said.
In response to a request for an interview regarding preparation for the rodeo, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association said in an email it had worked closely with health Texas and Tarrant County health officials.
“We are satisfied that Globe Life Field will be prudent and careful and we are also asking fans to monitor health updates prior to coming out to the event,” the email said.
What has health experts worried is the sheer number of people who may visit during what is likely to be one of the largest surges of the virus to date.
Tarrant County reported a record 1,525 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the fourth time in the past five days officials announced single-day highs. On Monday, the United States surpassed 10 million coronavirus infections and Texas led the country with 960,000 cases.
The number of new cases likely won’t fall much ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, a time when families may break social distance and crowd size protocols to gather. Immediately following Thanksgiving is the Black Friday shopping rush, setting up a double whammy for potential exposure, said Brandon Bennett, Fort Worth’s code compliance director and health officer.
But Bennett remained optimistic that with proper mitigation from event organizers and bar owners the National Finals Rodeo and its satellite events would not add to the problem.
“I think at the end of the day what we’re facing from Thanksgiving through Christmas is increased social interaction that will create more viral spread. The NFR is one small part of that,” he said. “When you look at the millions of people who live here versus the thousands that will come, I’m not sure the rodeo alone will add to our problem.”
COVID risk, economic reward
With any public health decision the risk and the reward must be weighed, said Neuman. He wondered whether the reward for rodeo’s niche market would be enough to make the event worth it. Many fans may have not needed to social distance because of lower COVID-19 rates in rural areas or they might not be not willing to follow guidelines, Neuman said.
“The risk and the reward are not lined up very clearly, I would say,” he said.
Fort Worth promoters say the economic boon will be worthwhile.
Hotel occupancy in the city bottomed out at about 20% in the spring, but returned averages to the 60% range by October, according to data from Visit Fort Worth.
The city will take a roughly $110 million economic hit next year following the cancellation of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo that was slated for Dickies Arena in the spring.
Hosting the National Finals Rodeo will help make up for some of what was lost over the last few months, said Jason Sands, sports director for Visit Fort Worth. This also gives Arlington and Fort Worth a chance to test out hosting the rodeo events before the region makes a pass at stealing the show from Las Vegas in a few years.
“We’re trying to get back to business and this is a big first step in doing that safely,” Sands said.
Super Bowl of rodeos
The National Finals Rodeo will be different than the World Series or National League Championship Series at Globe Life Field, bringing in potentially more than 15,000 people each day.
Globe Life Field has sold out for the 10-night event, which has a maximum of about 14,500 seats based on the state’s occupancy limits for outdoor events. More than 500 competitors will also be at the field. In Las Vegas, the competition often attracts thousands more who set up watch parties in hotels and attend smaller events, including the Junior Finals.
After hosting the World Series and NLCS, ballpark officials are confident the rodeo will be safe, said Sean Decker, Rangers executive vice president.
At Globe Life Field, fans will be required to wear a mask at all times, unless eating or drinking and tickets are sold in pods separated from each other. Some sinks and toilets have been shut off to encourage distancing in the restrooms and markers will be placed on the ground for distancing at concessions. There will also be an abundance of hand sanitizer, he said.
The Fort Worth Convention Center will host more than 200 vendors for the Cowboy Christmas exhibitions. Since 1986, the event, which runs concurrently to the rodeo for 10 days, features custom jewelry, boots, art and other goods. Live shows are also planned for the convention center.
Apart from being the choice destination for tourists interested in Fort Worth’s cowboy heritage and Western-themed bars, the Stockyards district will host a significant number of gatherings.
More than 40 events are planned for Cowtown Coliseum as part of the Junior World Finals, a competition for younger athletes that could boast more than 800 contestants, according to the rodeo’s website.
Other events are planned for the Stockyards district, including at Mule Alley, the recently opened redevelopment of historic horse and mule barns south of Exchange Avenue.
Craig Cavileer, executive vice president of Majestic Realty Co. and Stockyards Heritage Development Co., told the Star-Telegram in September Mule Alley and the surrounding area will be home to a “Christmas in Cowtown” festival that he boasted would be unlike any event the Stockyards has seen.
He said then that the Stockyards has an obligation to ensure social distancing, mask mandates and crowd limits are followed. Attempts to reach Cavileer and Ethan Cartwright, vice president of marketing for Stockyards Heritage Development, for this story were unsuccessful.
These smaller events are the places where the spread of the coronavirus is most likely, the health experts said.
Both Cervantes and Neuman worried that once people left Globe Life Field, they would begin to cluster in groups of people they may not have seen in a while, but generally feel comfortable around. In these situations, it becomes easy for people to let their guard down and skip COVID-safe protocols.
“It’s a social event and social events are just the perfect setting for broad transmission because it’s violating the three C’s of COVID that you’re supposed to avoid: crowds, cramped spaces and close contact,” Cervantes said. “It is sort of the perfect storm for transmission.”
Bars and restaurants may be the epicenter for viral spread, Neuman said, noting that it’s impossible to keep a mask on while eating and drinking.
COVID-safe bars
Fort Worth’s health officer Brandon Bennett has repeatedly cautioned against going to bars, and during virus updates to the City Council warned that bars are among the riskiest locations for contracting the virus. Spending prolonged periods inside increases the risk of contact with the virus, he has said, and as people drink they are less likely to remain socially distanced.
Since September there has been an increase in the lack of voluntary compliance at several bars in the Stockyards and the West 7th area, an entertainment district popular with the younger TCU crowd.
Stockyards bars appear unwilling to enforce state rules regarding masks and social distancing, according to a report Bennett prepared in late October. The presentation was not shared publicly, but the Star-Telegram obtained a copy by request.
During a compliance patrol the weekend of Oct. 23, four Stockyards bars received five citations for not complying with state orders, according to Bennett’s report. Photos attached to the report from Thirsty Armadillo and Longhorn Saloon showed crowded bars where patrons lacked masks and appeared to be standing very close.
“NO social distancing or any attempt to do so,” the report noted.
Compliance has improved in the West 7th bar district, Bennett said. There eight citations were written between the weekends of Oct. 16 and Oct. 23 to five bars.
A compliance patrol was scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 6, but the city did not respond to a request for citations.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price will host two town hall-style meetings with business owners this month to discuss protocols, permitting and other information. The first will be Nov. 11 at Billy Bob’s Texas from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The second will be Nov. 20 at the Fort Worth Convention Center from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Bennett said the city is working on a mitigation plan that he hoped to unveil in the coming weeks. Visit Fort Worth is also playing a role in establishing safety protocols and has stockpiled masks.
That plan may include ambassadors like those used during the Super Bowl who will pass out masks. He is also encouraging organizations to host multiple smaller events that will discourage large gatherings. There has also been discussion of shutting down streets so bars and restaurants can expand seating outside, but nothing has been finalized.
Bars and restaurants will likely be the focus of much of the city’s attention, but Bennett said he’s hopeful popular spots will be in a “battle rhythm” by early December.
“We want them to be doing a better job of compliance so when NFR comes it’s a seamless process,” Bennett said. “We don’t want that week to be about enforcement.”
This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
