Viewing parties a fan favorite

The toughest ticket in town this time of year? No doubt, it's to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

But you can be front and center for the WNFR, every night, all around town, if you want. And a lot of people want.

Hotels up and down the Strip, downtown and beyond host big nightly parties, with live action from the Thomas & Mack center on big screens, often sandwiched between pre- and post-rodeo in-house live concerts. Here's a timeline of how some rodeo fans took in Saturday night's third go-round of the WNFR.

5:30 p.m., The Orleans

The Buck'N Ball Saloon is already beginning to fill up for the 7 p.m. performance, and the place is rocking with a live band blasting away. Rusty and Kelly Cornia, who travel from Woodruff, Utah, each year for the WNFR, have settled in for the evening in a comfortable back booth.

"We like to come and watch the rodeo, but half the time, we can't get tickets," Rusty said, noting the parties help solve that problem. "It's a good atmosphere, and it gets better when the rodeo starts."

And Rusty knows his rodeo. In high school, he competed against renowned saddle bronc rider Cody Wright.

In many ways, Kelly said the hotel viewing parties are even better than being at the T&M.

"You don't have to fight the crowd like you do at the rodeo," she said. "But you get to watch it live, and get the same atmosphere. In some ways, it's better, and it's cheaper."

Kirk Cannon, who made the trek from Utah with the Cornias, had another good point, since this is a party, after all, and it could be a late night.

"It's close to my room," he said.

6:15 p.m., Golden Nugget

Downtown is full of cowboys and cowgirls, with many taking advantage of the Golden Nugget opening an upstairs showroom for its nightly viewing party. That included Konni and Wayne Bohrer from Belden, N.D., along with their granddaughter Briana, her friend Tasha, and neighbors Johnny and Kathy Warberg.

"It's good viewing, the sound is awesome," Konni said. "Once the rodeo gets going, the crowd here responds as well as they do at the arena."

Briana, sipping a Malibu Orange Juice as she recently turned 21, and Tasha are barrel racers on the Badlands Circuit who have competed against some of this year's WNFR qualifiers. So they enjoy rooting for their peers, and they really enjoy the atmosphere.

"We don't have this in North Dakota. We don't have movie theaters to watch rodeo," Briana said.

7 p.m., The Mirage

On a day when college football is on a lot of people's minds — especially bettors — The Mirage still takes the step of turning its sports book into Rodeo Vegas for its viewing party. The huge screens deliver crystal-clear coverage of the action, particularly if you're in the front row, as Heather Mulcahy, Tracy Perry and Shannon Jarrett were when the third go-round started.

"I'm a little surprised at how many people are here," said Mulcahy, from Houston, adding the trio arrived at 5 p.m. to get their seats. "You get the whole rodeo experience right here."

Perry, also from Houston, backed that sentiment, while noting a benefit of viewing and staying at The Mirage, too.

"If you drink beer, you don't have far to crawl," she said.

Added Jarrett, from Odessa, Texas: "It's better than being there, because you don't have to deal with the huge crowds, and you have a great view."

8 p.m., MGM Grand

The Gold Buckle Zone at the MGM Grand Conference Center is huge, and it's packed with roaring rodeo fans taking in the action on multiple big screens on both sides of the room. And it's got a comfortable, elevated VIP section in the middle of the room, where Justin Bowen of Lakeland, Fla., and his good friend Jenny Martoglio of Cody, Wyo., are watching intently.

"I like it better than being at the arena," Bowen said, echoing the sentiments from many of these viewing parties. "This is the best way to see it."

But how exactly did these two get such great seats?

"My dad got VIP tickets through Stetson. We work for Stetson during the rodeo," said Martoglio, alluding to the renowned cowboy hat maker. "I think it's pretty awesome here. I've never been in here before tonight. I just like how you can come here and kick back, there's fast drink service, friendly employees.

"I feel like I'm sitting in the arena."

Bowen, 30, used to be a bull rider, and he met Martoglio, 27, at a rodeo in Cody when both were teenagers. They've been friends ever since, but Bowen joked that could change.

"If the drinks stay as cheap as they are, we might end up married by the end of the night," he said.

8:45 p.m., South Point

The Ram Rodeo Tailgate Party is in full swing as the third go-round reaches its final event, bull riding. The South Point opens up its Grand Ballroom, and every table is full, with hundreds upon hundreds of fans, including Dan and Margaret Adams of Hudson, Colo., and Margaret's daughter, Kelly Roll.

"This is our first trip to the Finals," Margaret said from their table near the front of the room. "We wanted to go to the rodeo, but that didn't happen. So this is the next best thing. You can see the expression on the horses' faces, see the cowboys' faces. It's just really nice."

Dan also likes being right on top of the action.

"This is great," he said. "You can actually see a whole lot more here, because the cameras are filming right in on it."

Roll is on her third WNFR junket, which helped her convince her mom to make the journey.

"She kept saying, 'Mom, you gotta come see this,'" Margaret said.

Said Roll: "It's like being there. The fans here are cheering as well. It's like a family rooting on their team."

And you don't need a ticket to get into any of these events. It's arguably the best deal in town during the WNFR.