The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo

Zac Brown Band

"You know I like my chicken fried,
a cold beer on a Friday night,
a pair of jeans that fits just right
and the radio up.


I like to see the sunrise
See the love in my woman's eyes
Feel the love of my precious child
and know a mother's love"

Sold Out Show!

Calf Scramble

Tonight the legendary Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo came to a close with a stand-up performance by the Zac Brown Band. The 70,000 plus seats in the stadium had sold out and the crowd was lively as ever. The one hour performance followed 3 hours of a wild rodeo show complete with bucking broncos, rodeo clowns, barrel racing and angry bulls. The highlight of the show was when American hero, Navy Seal Marcus Littrel, author of Lone Survivor walked out onto the stage during the performance of the famous country song "Chicken Fried" to a standing ovation. (Click to Watch Firework Intro..)

Rodeo Houston knows how to put on one hell of a show getting the sound, lighting, timing, and overall quality of entertainment spot on. From the moving Star Spangled Banner opener to the bull riding, mutton busting (children riding sheep), calf scramble and wagon racing, the Rodeo its self was incredible. Then when you add the A++ performance following the brave cowboys and cowgirls, it is an absolute must if you ever find yourself in Houston during the 3 weeks of Rodeo that happens once a year.

Mutton Busting

The Houston Rodeo is not just inside the stadium. It includes a massive carnival featuring two ferris wheels, pig races (the extremely fast little pigs mid competition shown below), mutton busting (shown to the right), camel rides, fabulously unhealthy food, games (where you can win the fluffy unicorn from Despicable Me along with other 'fabulous' prizes) and carnival rides.

Pig Races

Turkey Legs and Corn Dogs

The food on its own is something to see. Massive smokers entice you to the barbecue pits where king sized turkey legs line humongous barbecue grills. If you are craving something sweet, trailers with your option of deep fried Oreos, cheesecake and Twinkies tempt those not lured in by the sugar coated funnel cakes. However, the food is not the only dangerously tempting part of the Rodeo.

Inside the Reliant Center hundreds of shops form several rows running the full length of the building. Here you could buy anything Texas related from a wide variety of unique stores. Hats and boots, furniture and home decor, barbecue pits and horse stalls, they had is all!

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is not just a fantastic day out but is supporting a fantastic cause. The non-profit foundation provides scholarships to our youth. In their mission statement they state that they are,

       "organized for charitable, educational, and scientific purposed to encourage 

        and promote the breeding, raising, and marketing of better livestock and 

        farm products at public fairs and to promote and maintain research and 

        educational functions within the livestock industry." 

Having been to the rodeo several times and seeing the impact it has there is no doubt that this is an organization making a difference while showing people a grand old time.