No Gunfighters Show Will Impact Downtown Businesses
Written by Andrew-Rossi on June 2, 2017
The show won’t be going on for the Cody Gunfighters this summer.
After three tourists were injured last summer when one of the performers failed to clear live ammo from his black powder weapon before a July performance, the Cody Gunfighters came under close scrutiny. Police Chief Chuck Baker worked with the show organizers to come up with a set of rules that included carrying liability insurance – and compliance with those rules prior to this season was deemed necessary by the City Council earlier this year.
However, Baker says that after the incident, the organization’s insurance provider dropped them, and he says he was told they were having a hard time finding a new provider. As of yesterday, the Gunfighters were unable to secure liability insurance, so for the first time in many years, the porch at the Irma Hotel won’t be teeming with visitors this summer, anxious to get a glimpse of the Wild West.
Mike Darby, co-owner of the Irma Hotel, says the loss of the gunfighter show will have an impact on the downtown businesses.
Darby says that traffic flows will change as compared to previous years, because 12th Street won’t be closed down for the duration of the show. He adds that the visitors who attended the gunfights in past years frequented the Irma’s gift shop and bar, so those aspects of his business will definitely feel the impact.
