By McKenzie Romero | Editor
For more than 100 years, Utahns have celebrated the arrival of Mormon pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley. And in recent years, the Days of ’47 Rodeo has been blasting out each summer like a bull from a chute.
The annual event has been building momentum after a recent makeover, bringing with it tax dollars for the state. But can the costly rodeo keep riding ahead of economic pressures?
In this Pioneer Day edition of the Dispatch we take you behind the scenes at Utah’s gold medal rodeo. Our full weekday newsletter will return on Monday.
“We grew it from selling 20,000 seats to selling 50,000 seats in six years. That’s incredible growth for an event and now we’re at a sold-out capacity crowd every night, and it’s in demand for people to come here and compete.” — Tommy Joe Lucia, executive director of the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo, on the event’s resurgence.
Keenan Hayes competes in bareback riding at the Days of ’47 rodeo at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
By Alixel Cabrera
When the rodeo ends on Saturday after a week of festivities, organizers expect at least 48,000 fans will have filled seats at the Days of ’47 arena at the Utah State Fairpark, and over 60,000 people, including volunteers and contractors, to have been involved with the event.
The event could generate over $1 million in tax impacts for the state, according to an economic impact report. Still, ticket proceeds alone aren’t able to sustain the event, but Utah’s ample volunteer spirit give the rodeo a needed economic boost.
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