Each year, between one and two million close, personal friends gather at Reliant Park to enjoy the festivities at the Houston Rodeo (also referred to as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, RodeoHouston, and Rodeo Houston), making the 77-year-old event the largest of its kind in the world.
When:
TBA
Where:
Reliant Park
One Reliant Park
Houston, TX 77054
Official Website:
Concert Slideshow:
Ten Great Concerts From the Houston Rodeo 2009
Notable Happenings:
Rodeo Houston: The largest rodeo in the world, Rodeo Houston gives Houstonians the opportunity to root on the finest Bareback Riders, Barrel Racers, Bull Riders, Steer Wrestlers, Team Ropers, Tie Down Ropers, and Saddle Bronco Riders in the country.
Bar-B-Que Contest: As far as time honored traditions go, gorging yourself on all the Bar-B-Que you can eat for three straight days ranks pretty high on the list. Given Houston’s proclivity for consumption, “The Cookoff” is one of the Rodeo’s hottest draws, bringing in more than 207,000 in ’08.
Go Texan Day: The Friday before the parade, Houstonians young and old, short and tall, and chubby and, well, chubby, are encouraged to dress in their finest western wear to help usher in the year’s rodeo. An auspicious start to the near-month long event.
Parade and Rodeo Fun: If you’ve never seen it, the Rodeo parade is quite the spectacle. To paraphrase the event, decorative floats and thousands of men and women on horseback juxtapose Downtown’s skyscrapers and freeways, filling the streets with hoof beats and marching bands.
Concert Stars: One of the unquestionably enjoyable aspects of HLSR is the Concert Series. Each year it draws some of music’s biggest names. Elvis Presley, George Straight, Reba McEntire, even Miley Cyrus(!) have all made time for the event. 2009’s line-up includes The Jonas Brothers, Brooks & Dunn, Taylor Swift, Gladys Knight, Lady Antebellum, ZZ Top, Rascall Flats, Ramon Ayala, Pat Green, Gary Allan, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Brad Paisley, Clint Black, Josh Turner, Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, Solange, Clay Walker and Alan Jackson.
Ten Great Concerts From the Houston Rodeo 2009
The Rodeo Uncorked! : Birthed from the obvious need to couple wine with bull riding, The Rodeo Uncorked! is a wine show featuring award-winning wines the world over. It is now in its seventh year.
Carnival: For kids and adults alike, the Carnival at Houston Rodeo is a must-not-miss. This year will feature La Grand Wheel, the largest portable ferris wheel in the Western Hemisphere (seems like a big deal), and The Sky Ride, a 1700 gondola sky ride that transports folk from the kid-specific section of the carnival (Kid Country) to the other side.
Other Events:
There are several Special Days throughout the course of the Rodeo, including Black Heritage Day, Go Tejano Day, Ladies Night Out, Lil’ Rustler’s Rodeo, and the Spring Break Stampede. There are also numerous Children Activities (i.e. mechanical bull, milking parlor, pig races, etc), a 21 and over concert area dubbed The Hideout, and Show Pride! , an event in which participants are presented with the history of the rodeo.
