Cowboy Christmas draws thousands for first weekend

Thousands of shoppers sorted through booths filled with ten-gallon hats, boots and fringes at Cowboy Christmas on Friday, giving them the chance to shop like a cowboy, even if they aren’t one.

The Western wares gift show returned Thursday to the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall. The National Finals Rodeo-affiliated event drew more than 350 exhibitors and expects tens of thousands of shoppers during the daily availability, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., until Dec. 14. Last year’s show brought 370,000 shoppers through the turnstiles.

Santa Fe, New Mexico, resident Gigi Mitchell said it was her 25th year selling her Western silverwork jewelry at Cowboy Christmas. She likes the annual show because there are so many “one-of-a-kind” makers in attendance.

As a one-person business, Mitchell said she prefers art shows like this one because it’s longer and worth the setup. She also annually attends the Houston Rodeo and fine art shows, including one in Summerlin.

“People interested in high-end art, this is their genre,” Mitchell said. “This is what they like.”

Some visiting shoppers Friday were there to check out the offerings while in town. Victoria Pavsic said she was in from New York with a group of friends for a bachelorette party. Cowboy Christmas was one of the first stops of the weekend.

Asked what the party was shopping for, Pavsic quipped: “A cowboy. And matching hats for our group.”

Other exhibitors said they rely on Cowboy Christmas for a bulk of their sales annually. Nevena Christi, owner and maker of Rocketbuster custom boots, said the annual show is the only one they attend because it brings together a diverse potential customer base of Western fans, ranchers, European travelers and stylists from Los Angeles.

“Last year, we even had a few people from the marijuana convention going on,” Christi said, referring to the MJBizCon, a cannabis industry trade show in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s north and central halls next door. “I did some funky leaf boots.”

Each pair is custom made to order. At Cowboy Christmas or in the shop in El Paso, Texas, Christi and her team said they work with customers on design, sizing and everything in between. Rocketbuster’s custom boots are so well-known that celebrities like Kendrick Lamar, Reba McEntire and Shaboozey have or will wear them.

“I do about a year and a half worth of sales,” she said of Cowboy Christmas. “We measure feet and sketch boots and we can travel for fun the rest of the time.”

Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.