SALEM, Va. (WFXR) – The Salem Stampede Championship Rodeo has become a staple in the Championship City over its 57-year history.
“We’re the longest running show here at the Salem Civic Center and there’s a reason for that,” said rodeo spokesman Kevin DeBusk, who has been handling the Salem event for more than a decade.
That explains why despite adverse weather conditions, the Salem Civic Center was still at or near capacity for all three sessions between Friday and Sunday.
“Saturday was a sellout, even with weather we were about three quarters full on Friday night,” said DeBusk. “In fact, [Sunday is] probably going to be one of our larger crowds for that day in 57 years.”
Between all the participants and attendees, this rodeo brings in people from all over the state and the country.
“We had a group of 30 or 40 last night that I was talking to that made a four-hour drive to come here and I actually talked to some folks from Maine that had come in just for the rodeo,” said DeBusk.
That turnout is good news not only for the rodeo but for the local economy and places around downtown Salem.
“The number of hotel rooms, restaurant stops, fuel stops that occur,” said DeBusk. “The economic impact from that is immense for this community.”