Cloverdale Rodeo this weekend; boon for local business
Posted May 17, 2012 9:27 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS1130) – It’s an annual tradition that brings thousands of cowboys and cowgirls to town; kick-off events for the Cloverdale Rodeo take place today.
The four days of fun draws thousands of people to the area. It’s a long weekend Paul Orazietti with the Cloverdale Business Improvement Association looks forward to every year.
He says there could be anywhere from 80,000 to 110,000 people around the rodeo site every day.
“A lot of that is people from the [Fraser] Valley and Vancouver. A number of out of town visitors that are visiting family members attend, and quite a few of them are from Asia and Europe,” he explains.
The big crowds every year means a big boost for the local economy.
“[The money spent] in a greater influx is more service-oriented, food products, gasoline and things of that nature. People traditionally going to the rodeo spend more time spending money on rides and different activities,” explains Orazietti.
It’s not just businesses that cash in on what the rodeo brings to the community; Orazietti tells us charity groups like the Lions, Legions and the Elks also benefit from fundraising events over the long weekend.
