LAS VEGAS –The PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) Built Ford Tough Series, now enjoying one of the most successful and competitive years in the sport’s history, along with the Las Vegas Elks Lodge and the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial, will once again bring bucking bulls and rich western culture back to The Strip as the historical Las Vegas Helldorado Days rodeo and carnival return May 11-14.

Helldorado Days has been a Las Vegas staple since 1934, celebrating the city’s western heritage and entertaining countless fans over the years. This year the time-honored festival will again take place at the Las Vegas Village, across from the Luxor Hotel & Casino, and will feature four action-packed days of events. Among the events will be the PBR’s Last Cowboy Standing, one of the sport’s four “Major” events; a PRCA rodeo featuring all seven traditional events; carnival rides, a petting zoo, pig races, camel rides and games for the entire family; the one-and-only Whiskerino mustache and beard-growing contest; mouth-watering foods; plus live music and the first-ever Las Vegas Helldorado Days Brewfest- a Motley Brews experience treating guests to blends from more than 40 breweries.

Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman, alongside PBR CEO Sean Gleason, the Las Vegas Elks, live bulls and fans will celebrate the 81^st anniversary of the event Thursday, May 11, at noon at the opening ceremony on Fremont Street at the Third Street stage. Festival gates at Las Vegas Village will open to the public at 5 p.m. that evening.

As an added element for fans this year, PBR has partnered with the Silverton Hotel & Casino to offer free shuttle service to and from the festival grounds, easing the search for parking. Shuttles will depart from Silverton's main valet throughout the afternoon and evening. For more information and shuttle schedules, visit www.elkshelldorado.com.

Thursday, May 11, Saturday, May 13, and Sunday, May 14, the Las Vegas Helldorado Days Rodeo will take place in the main arena. The historic PRCA-sanctioned event will showcase athletes in all rodeo disciplines – bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding.

Last Cowboy Standing, the third PBR Major of the 2017 Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) season, will take over the grounds, Friday, May 12, and Saturday, May 13. As one of the season’s biggest events, Last Cowboy Standing will feature the Top 40 bull riders in the world facing off against the sport’s fiercest bulls in round after round of heart-pounding, dirt-flying, adrenaline-fueled action.

Each bull rider will be competing for the $100,000 first prize and the bonus PBR world standings points offered at each PBR Major. To advance from one round to the next, the athletes will have to make the 8-second buzzer. The competition continues until only one cowboy remains as the man who has ridden the most bulls consecutively to claim the title as the “Last Cowboy Standing.”

Last season, 2015 PBR Rookie of the Year Kaique Pacheco was the Last Cowboy Standing to close out the first half of the PBR Built Ford Tough Series season, taking over the No. 1 spot in the PBR world standings.

Following the bull riding each night, the PBR Rock Bar, located inside of the Miracle Mile Shops, will be the official Las Vegas Helldorado Days Afterparty. On Friday, May 12, fans will be treated to a performance by rock legends WARRANT as they release their new album “Louder Harder Faster,” which includes PBR’s new party anthem, a foot-stomping remake of Merle Haggard’s classic, “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink.” The afterparty kicks off at 10:30 p.m. Friday and 11 p.m. Saturday.

On Saturday morning, fans will be able to enjoy the traditional Las Vegas Helldorado Days Parade as it travels through downtown Las Vegas, starting at 10 a.m. For complete information about the Las Vegas Helldorado Days Festival, rodeo, PBR’s Last Cowboy Standing and all of the family friendly local events, please visit www.pbr.com or www.elkshelldorado.com.

2017 Las Vegas Helldorado Days Full Event Schedule: