LUBBOCK, Texas — On Tuesday, the ABC Pro Rodeo announced the 2020 rodeo will be held at Mallet Event Center in Levelland from April 2 – 4. The longtime, traditional location was the Municipal Coliseum which was town down this year.
EverythingLubbock.com carried a live stream Tuesday afternoon as the rodeo announced the 2020 location and gave the Boys & Girls Club their 2019 donation. Use the video player above to watch a reply.
The rodeo has been running for 77 years and a location change brings concerns.
“I think everything is going to change, except for the rodeo itself,” Leslie Cox, chairman of the 2020 ABC Pro Rodeo, said. “Because it’s a new venue, because it’s in Levelland, it’s exciting and a little scary trying to figure out logistics.”
The location has taken months to decide, Cox said. Ultimately, the Mallet Event Center was chosen due to opportunities such as a larger space for booth rentals, more areas for events during rodeo week and various other possibilities.
The Mallet Event Center is not the permanent location for the rodeo, but a temporary solution following the loss of the coliseum. Plans for a Lubbock expo center are developing, Cox said, she hopes the rodeo will soon find its new home there.
“We’re very excited,” Cox said. “We look forward to having a permanent solution, but we are just as excited this year because the opportunities are there.”
The Mallet Event Center does not have as much seating available as the coliseum did, Cox said. The ABC Rodeo board is currently working on ways to accommodate more attendees in the space.
For those worried that the rodeo will change, Cox said the event will have the same seven events and four shows.
“As of right now, the rodeo itself will not change,” Cox said. “It’ll be the same great rodeo y’all are used to seeing.”
The ABC Pro Rodeo benefits the Boys & Girls Club of Lubbock along with other charities. Each year, the rodeo donates to The Boys & Girls Club using profits made at that year’s rodeo. This year, the donation totaled $25,000.
