Jasper has had a giant hole in the month of May for the last few years. Two months after the Jasper Lions Club Rodeo wrapped up their 71st annual rodeo in May of 2017, the public service organization announced that it would be their last.
The Lions Club had been hemorrhaging money for the last several years of the event as attendance dropped while the cost to bring in quality entertainment climbed ever higher.
With the rodeo cancelled, the Lions Club sold the arena which had been built in 1947. After changing through a few hands, the arena building and land is now owned by an out-of-state company.