Nebraska tourism industry members were honored during the virtual 2020 Nebraska Tourism Industry Awards celebration on Thursday.
John Ricks, Nebraska Tourism Commission executive director, congratulated award winners, and noted that while it has been a tough year, Nebraska’s tourism industry has done a lot to be proud of. The commission appreciates all of the nominations they received this year, from creative marketing and virtual events, to businesses adapting during COVID-19 and all of the extra work that has gone in to making sure Nebraska isn’t forgotten about as a travel destination.
The awards ceremony was held virtually, and Ricks presented winners with their awards last week. The Outstanding In-Person Event was awarded to Nebraska’s Big Rodeo in Burwell. Although many events were cancelled this year due to COVID-19, Nebraska’s Big Rodeo successfully hosted this large event during unprecedented times. The rodeo brought visitor spending to Burwell and the surrounding communities with some businesses seeing an increase in their year over year sales. Nebraska’s Big Rodeo continues to show leadership and creativity in planning and organizing an annual event of this size and caliber.
In 1921, citizens of Burwell decided to put their community on the map with an annual community celebration. 
They chose to start a rodeo, which reflects the western heritage of the town. The first rodeo was held in September of 1921, and since that time nearly every professional rodeo champion has competed in the historic arena in Burwell. Almost a century later, visitors from all over the world continue to migrate to the small community of Burwell for a one-of-a-kind experience. This PRCA sanctioned rodeo and the Garfield County Fair are held annually on the original 40 acres of grounds and facilities listed with the National Registry of Historic Places. The grounds include one of the world’s largest outdoor rodeo arenas, a ¾ mile track, original wooden covered grandstands and more.
Nebraska’s Big Rodeo in Burwell was nominated for their award by someone who touched on the many ways the rodeo and activities held during the last week of July, bring valuable tourism contributions to the small agriculture community. When many other PRCA rodeos across the country were forced to cancel their performances, Nebraska’s Big Rodeo exemplified the saying, “There’s no quit in the cowboy”. By working closely with the Loup Basin Public Health Department to ensure the safety of volunteers, contestants and spectators, Nebraska’s Big Rodeo welcomed over 800 contestants and thousands of visitors to the region.
In addition to promoting and creating ways for the annual Nebraska’s Big Rodeo to proceed, the Board of Directors also volunteered to host the Nebraska State High School Rodeo Finals in June after the original host site was unable to hold the event due to Covid-19 health guidelines. The Board of Directors recognized the opportunity to invite this statewide event to central Nebraska where the combination of top-notch facilities, ready and willing community volunteers and local health guidelines combined to make this positive outcome possible. The successful completion of the Nebraska State High School Rodeo Finals not only brought much needed foot traffic and visitor numbers in June after three very quiet months, but it boosted the morale of the community during this challenging year, and served as a practice run for what it would be like hosting Nebraska’s Big Rodeo during a pandemic. While this event was not directly related to the annual Nebraska’s Big Rodeo, it shows how this organization stepped up to help our state during the chaos of 2020 and illustrates that this high caliber venue is capable of accommodating large and complex events in a professional manner even under special circumstances.
Nebraska’s Big Rodeo has shown courage, leadership and flexibility in 2020 by bringing two large events to central Nebraska that drew visitors and spending dollars to our rural communities. This organization’s business is rodeo. However, the Nebraska’s Big Rodeo Board of Directors recognize the economic impact these events have, not just in the town of Burwell, but throughout our region. Lodging, restaurants, convenience/gas and retail stores, area attractions and more benefit from increased visitors to the area. In addition, they have shown that they are capable of hosting these elite events successfully even under challenging conditions, setting them up for future success as a “go to” host site while garnering national coverage. In a year where measures out of our control have curtailed the tourism industry, Nebraska’s Big Rodeo stepped up for Nebraska, putting us on a nationwide stage while bringing in sorely needed tourism dollars to our region.
In addition to the NTC Award, Nebraska’s Big Rodeo was Awarded the Medium Rodeo Of the Year title in 2019 by the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association and has been nominated again for 2020.
Nebraska’s Big Rodeo Board of Directors is currently working hard to make the 100th Annual Nebraska’s Big Rodeo the best we’ve seen so far. Mark your calendars now, and be sure to be in Burwell July 28th-31, 2021.
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