Frontier Days Ropes A Profit

A long-running Wyoming Festival is back in the black after several years of losses.

Cheyenne Frontier Days lost $908,018 in 2007, $431,088 in 2008 and $49,762 in 2009, according to IRS documents obtained by the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, but the fest earned $345,295 in 2010.

The difference appears to stem from last year’s concert lineup, which included Brooks & Dunn, KISS, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert and Sugarland.

“People expect to see the best in entertainment when they come out here, and we have been fortunate with the acts we have booked recently attracting large groups of people on top of the other events we have,” festival CEO Dan Cheney told the paper. “I think the positive return shows that we are, like any business, doing more with less.”

Several of the 2010 concerts reportedly set Frontier Days records for grosses, and the festival’s bottom line was also padded by admissions and carnival earnings, the paper said.

Artists scheduled for this year’s Frontier Days include Kid Rock, Toby Keith, Jason Aldean, Mötley Crüe and Zac Brown Band.
Meanwhile, in Colorado, the Greeley Stampede isn’t faring quite so well.

Greeley executive director Bill Ogg told the Tribune Eagle the Stampede has posted losses for several years and recently trimmed its budget by $375,000, cutting administrative costs.

He added that the economy has hurt many rodeos around the country but he hopes the 2011 event will turn a corner.

“With some good weather and the economy turning around a little, I think we will have a good year,” he said.

Artists set to perform at this year’s Stampede include Rodney Atkins, Little Big Town, Clint Black and Cheap Trick.