Festivals and various events are often held in Houston. Most of them are annual and highly anticipated among local residents. In addition, festivals can be spontaneous one-time events.
Different annual events always attract a great public to Houston. For example, world celebrities come to the film festival and famous foreign chefs visit the culinary festival. However, the Livestock Show and Rodeo cannot be compared with other events. More than two million people visit it every year including Houstonians, Americans from other cities and even tourists from other continents.
Why is it so popular in Houston? How long does the festival last and how is it arranged? Houstonski tells more about it.
The festival’s history
This story started at the beginning of the 20th century when a new breed of cattle was brought out in Houston. An animal called the American Brahman appeared as a result of the mixture of four Indian cattle breeds. It looks somewhat like a cow of Indian origin called zebu.
For a long time, Houstonians could not present the animal at various exhibitions, so that everyone would know about the existence of a new breed. It happened only in 1932 at a local Houston Fat Stock Show. This was an animal exhibition visited by approximately 2,000 people.
Since then, such an exhibition has been held annually. However, the event encountered numerous difficulties and obstacles, such as World War II, low attendance, funding problems, etc.
In 1961, the show was renamed the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Since then, the event was changed, namely the exhibition of the chicken, rabbits and pigs was canceled. It was moved to a new location, got a new logo, subordination and dependence on the parent company.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the show became more popular and successful. The number of visitors and the total duration of the event increased. However, due to the cooperation with organizations, it was necessary to follow certain rules and stay somehow limited. Only in 2011 the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo became independent.
The modern event
Nowadays, the festival is considered the most popular and anticipated event of the year. It lasts 20 days from the end of February to March. During this time, people from all over the world come to the city because nowhere else one can see such a show.
The fun starts a few days before the official opening. The preparatory stage is called a trail trip. All those who wish can get to the main location from different states or suburbs on horseback or in horse-drawn carts. Such a trip can last from several days to three weeks. The main area of the show is located in downtown Houston, so many streets are blocked before and during the festival. This causes indignation among locals who work or live there.
During this period, Houston also celebrates Go Texan Day. Local residents dress up in cowboy clothes, such as boots, hats, jeans, shirts, and go out.
The official opening of the festival is the rodeo parade. This day hosts a cattle and livestock show, where you can see a variety of animals that are most often raised in Houston, as well as rodeos and fairs. Throughout the entire festival, loud evening concerts with various artists are organized daily.
It is impossible to get to the festival for free. One has to buy a ticket. Prices vary depending on the entertainment chosen. For example, you can buy a ticket for one or more concerts as they are different every day. It is possible to purchase a season ticket that gives the right to attend all concerts within twenty days and also opens access to visiting the animal exhibition, fair and rodeo.