EVANSTON ­— The COVID-19 pandemic may have resulted in the cancellation of many community events so far this year, but Evanston’s Cowboy Days is not one of them. According to Cowboy Days committee president Dustin Matthews, the 84th annual Cowboy Days events will continue as scheduled over Labor Day weekend, albeit with a few restrictions and precautions in place.

Probably the biggest change the public needs to be aware of affects the rodeos still scheduled for Saturday-Monday, Sept. 5-7. Under the public health exception allowing the rodeos to continue, the grandstands will be able to host a little more than 1,800 people per rodeo — which is about 60% of capacity.

To ensure distancing between groups, tickets for reserved seating must be purchased in advance online at evanstoncowboydays.com. Matthews said the arena has been divided into sections — red, white and blue corresponding to the bleacher colors and then other sections on the opposite side of the arena. Matthews said ticket sales have already been brisk and have surpassed expectations.

If seating does not sell out in advance, tickets can be purchased at the gate for each rodeo, where a booth will be set up for on-site online sales. The ticketing process is mandated to both ensure distancing between parties and assist with contact tracing should anyone test positive for COVID-19 after attending a rodeo.

As an exciting addition to this year’s festivities, the rodeos will be televised for the first time ever. Matthews said all three rodeos will air on the Cowboy Channel, which he said is available through most major TV providers. Subscribers can check local listings or with their individual outlet to find channel information. In addition, the rodeos can be viewed via the Cowboy Channel app for live streaming, although a subscription fee is required for online viewing. For those not familiar with the channel, Matthews said rodeos from around the country are regularly aired, although he does want people to understand that sometimes broadcasts bounce from rodeo to rodeo, jumping from one to another and back again.

Matthews said the TV deal was the work of many partners, including the Cowboy Days committee, PRCA rodeos, the City of Evanston, NGL Connection and the Cowboy Channel, with funding for the deal split three ways among Cowboy Days, the City and PRCA, with NGL providing the technical support needed to make it happen. Not only will the rodeos be televised, but Matthews said they will also be promoting the Evanston area on the Cowboy Channel for weeks prior to Cowboy Days weekend.

Another change this year is the addition of the Evanston Car Show to be held at the fairgrounds starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4. The Car Show has taken place on Main Street for the past several years to coincide with the Evanston Brew Fest in July, which was canceled this year due to the pandemic. Organizers for both events have worked together to move the Car Show to the fairgrounds to coincide with Cowboy Days.

One of the unfortunate losses due to COVID-19 has been the perennial-favorite kids’ fish catch, which typically takes place on Saturday. Matthews said the committee spent hours trying to think of a way the fish catch could move forward while still keeping safety precautions in place; however, they were unable to find a workable solution. Instead, said Matthews, they have contracted with a Wyoming company to bring inflatables and bouncy houses to the fairgrounds Saturday through Monday that kids will be able to play on for a cost of $5 per day. The company will provide regular cleaning and sanitization of the inflatables throughout the weekend.

The annual Cowboy Days parade will be at 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 7, on the usual parade route, although Matthews said the Evanston Rotary Club has decided not to hold the annual Monday morning Pancake Breakfast. Matthews said the committee opted to name essential workers as this year’s grand marshals.

With a theme for the year of “Come Together,” Matthews said parade entries are still being accepted and folks are encouraged to enter the parade to show their support for essential workers. “We want it to be a celebration,” said Matthews. “We knew everybody would have to come together to make this happen and make it work, and they have.”

Matthews said there are many vendors signed up to be open at the fairgrounds throughout the four days of the event, including many food vendors. In fact, he said they were rapidly reaching a point where they wouldn’t be able to accept any more food vendors because there wouldn’t be enough space.

The fairgrounds will open at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, with vendors, the car show at 5 p.m. and the Wayne Hoskins band performing at 7:30 p.m. Gates open again at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, with a special needs rodeo at 10 a.m., kids’ activities and Rachel Rhodes live music at 1 p.m. and the PRCA rodeo at 6 p.m.

Grounds open at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning, with cowboy church at 11 a.m., the addition of a new cornhole tournament at 11:30 a.m. and live music by JD and the Brass Saddle Band at 1 p.m. Annual Sunday events will continue, including the rocket launch from 1-3 p.m. and veterans ceremony at 4 p.m. The Sunday PRCA rodeo will be held at 6 p.m., with a rodeo pre-show by JD and the Brass Saddle Band at 5 p.m.

Monday morning will feature the parade at 10 a.m., followed by the Power Wheels demolition derby at noon and PRCA rodeo at 2 p.m., with live music by the Real Doug Lane prior to the rodeo at 1 p.m.

Due to the pandemic, health and safety precautions will be in place throughout the weekend, including temperature checks and health screenings at the gate. Every visitor will receive a wristband after being screened at the first entry of the day to ensure everyone is screened daily. Sanitation and handwashing stations will be set up throughout the fairgrounds. Masks will not be required but are strongly recommended, particularly while waiting in line for vendors and in the food vendor area. A limited supply of disposable masks will be available on-site.

In addition to rodeo tickets, vendor applications, parade entry registration and registration for mutton busting and mini ponies events for all three rodeos and the Power Wheels demolition derby can be found online at evanstoncowboydays.com.

Matthews said the hope is to have a fun-filled weekend with the community out in support of one of Evanston’s longstanding traditions. So far, that is shaping up to be the case. “Ticket sales have really taken off and the community has been amazing in making this happen,” he said. “It’s just been unreal.”