Tucson Rodeo Canceled For 2021 Due To Coronavirus Concerns

TUCSON, AZ — Tucson's annual rodeo won't be back until 2022, thanks to the coronavirus.

The Tucson Rodeo Committee announced the cancellation of the long-standing event in a news release Wednesday. The annual rodeo, a celebration of cowboys known as La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, has been held since 1925.

“With the amount of planning that goes into this event, we feel there is too much uncertainty to
take the chance of continuing forward at this time,” Mark Baird, chairman of the board for the Tucson Rodeo, said in a statement. "Therefore, the Tucson Rodeo Committee believes that the only course of action is to cancel the 2021 Tucson Rodeo. This difficult decision is in the best interest of the health and safety of our community, guests, volunteers, vendors, sponsors and contestants."

The statement noted the complexities involved in hosting such a large-scale event, including the number of volunteers needed to put it on and the necessity of having large crowds in attendance in order for the event to be financially viable.

The announcement comes as Arizona continues to experience an uptick in coronavirus cases. The state reported 1,399 new cases Thursday, 334 of which come from Pima County.

Current health and safety mandates in Tucson and Pima County regarding social distancing and large gatherings are expensive and complicated to put in place. The rodeo is a not-for-profit event and donated $250,000 of its proceeds to charities like the Lion’s Clubs, 4-H Clubs and Rotary Clubs following the 2020 rodeo, the news release said.

Visit Tucson has estimated that at least 150,000 spectators take part in the rodeo and its parade each year. The annual financial impact of the rodeo is over $15 million, according to rodeo organizers.

The Tucson Rodeo is expected to return from February 19 to 27 in 2022.