A true Texas treasure, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has been highlighted as the World’s Largest Livestock Show and Rodeo. It is an exhibition of live entertainment, a Championship BBQ contest, eye dropping Art displays, and Ranching and Wildlife auctions, just to name a few of the numerous exhibitions/competitions held.
All this under one big umbrella of celebration held each year to benefit youth, support education, facilitate leadership, and bring a community together with pride of its hometown.
Photo: Sonia Ramirez
The Rodeo is held in NRG Stadium. “It is considered to be the city’s “signature event”, much like New Orleans’s Mardi Gras, Dallas’s Texas State Fair, and New York City’s New Year’s Eve at Times Square,” states Wikipedia. The Friday before the rodeo begins the city encourages everyone to dress up for “Go Texan Day” and wear their best rodeo outfit to celebrate the anticipation awaiting another rodeo.
“The Trail Rides (cavalcades) are a long tradition with the rodeo and gather at Memorial Park to camp for a rest and party before the big Annual Rodeo Parade through Downtown Houston,” states Wikipedia. Along with the trail rides and the parade, there is also the carnival going up and the World Championship BBQ contest also known as the “Cookoff” which marks the opening of what’s sure to be another record breaking Rodeo.
Photo: Sonia Ramirez
A few milestone moments over the decades, as stated by Wikepedia, are interesting facts associated with the Rodeo:
1931 : First established as The Houston Fat Stock Show and Livestock Exposition
1937: Planning begins for the first Rodeo Parade leading up to the 1938 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
1942 : First star entertainer: Gene Autry, “the Singing Cowboy”; calf scramble event added to the Show’s rodeo.
1952 : First trail ride (Salt Grass Trail Ride) commences from Brenham, Texas.
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