Everything You Should Know About the Houston Rodeo Show

Just like New Orleans has Mardi Gras, Houston’s biggest annual attraction is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR). Keeping the old and new traditions alive, it’s the world’s biggest livestock and rodeo show. The event runs from February 28 to March 20 and promises lots of thrills for attendees.

So, what’s the Houston Rodeo all about?

World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest

If you ever needed an excuse to eat sumptuous amounts of barbeque, you should make your way to the Houston rodeo, and head straight for the NRG Park grounds. The barbeque contest is one of the largest in the US, attracting over 250 teams every year.

You can show off your eating skills, as you move from one tent to the next, sampling barbeques from different contestants. While you fill your stomach, you’ll also be contributing to charity because most of these teams sell sponsorships, and channel some of the money to charities.

Rodeo Uncorked! RoundUp and Best Bites Competition

Houston rodeo offers a complete package: an opportunity to eat, and another opportunity to drink. The rodeo plays host to the Rodeo International Wine Competition. This sees more than 3,000 bottles of the fine drink submitted for judging.

Attendees are allowed to purchase glasses of wine during the livestock show at the Wine Garden. You can dance yourself crazy to the exciting live music at the Garden every evening. The event also provides an opportunity to sample foods from different restaurants and vote on the most delicious.

The Houston Rodeo Show and Concert

For 20 consecutive evenings, you get to experience one of the largest draws of the Houston rodeo. Over 43,000 tickets – which are relatively inexpensive – are sold every year, with another 30,000 reserved for individuals and members of the public. Buy the ticket to show off your cowboy skills.

Your children shouldn’t have to miss out on the fun. They get an opportunity to compete after the professional rodeo comes to an end. If your children are the adventurous type, they can participate in the calf scramble. This involves chasing and catching one of the 15 calves, halting them, and dragging them back to the arena.

Livestock Show

The livestock show is one of the biggest highlights of the Houston rodeo and runs for a full week at the NRG Park. It’s an auction for professional breeders, so you can get yourself a nice breed if you’re planning to venture into animal rearing.

The show attracts a larger international presence compared to any other event in the country. In 2017, ministers of Agriculture from Columbia and Russia joined nearly 3,000 other international dignitaries and business people at the event.

There’s a section for children as well, where children from around the state showcase the livestock they have raised, including pigs, sheep, cows, goats, chickens, and rabbits. The animals are also judged and winners auctioned off at a pretty sum.

Rodeo Parade and Rodeo Run

This is the official kickoff show held on the Saturday before the show in downtown Houston. The parade parades influential Houstonians, bands, floats, and members of the 13 trail rides. You don’t have to wait until Sunday to show up for the rodeo – come on Saturday and increase your knowledge base, and entertain yourself at the same time.

How physically fit are you? You could attend the Rodeo Run and compete against 10,000 other athletes in the 5k and 10k fun runs. The proceeds will go to the show’s scholarship fund, so you have nothing to lose.

Learn More About the Houston Rodeo Show

If you’re traveling for the summer vacation, consider attending the Houston Rodeo along with your children for a perfect treat, and an all-family experience. For more information, please contact us today.