Take out your cowboy hats and dust off your boots for the annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo on February 8-25, 2018! Awarded PRCA Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year for an unprecedented 13 years straight, this event is one not to miss!
The action-packed 18-day event features rodeo fan favorites such as bull riding, bronc riding, barrel racing and mutton bustin’ as well as family-friendly attractions and the world’s largest junior livestock show. With lavish rodeo prize money of over $1.7 million, you will see the nation’s best rodeo athletes and bucking stock. You can spend days exploring Texas’ western culture and tradition, catch world-class entertainment, taste fun fair food, browse the Shops at the Rodeo and enjoy the carnival.
This year’s epic entertainment includes top of the chart country, classic rock, comedy and more on the famous rotating stage in the middle of the arena. Artists such as Brett Eldredge, Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson are some stars that are great for the country music fans, and if you want to take a step back into classic rock, you can see Foreigner and Goo Goo Dolls.
A new attraction you will want to check out is the Butterfly Encounter. Step into the exhibit and you will be surrounded by hundreds of butterflies all while learning about the butterfly lifecycle. Coming back to the Texas Wildlife Expo is the Texas Zoo that features native Texas wildlife. You can also take a walk on the wild side and visit exotic animals at Zoomagination. For something more thrilling, there will be a variety of high energy attractions alternating throughout the event such as Pompeyo Family Dog Show, X-POGO and Chicago Boyz.
If you are looking to get a glimpse of the Stock Show, be sure to stroll through the barns to see more than 70,000 animals parade through including cattle, sheep, goats, poultry and swine. Many of these will be entered in the Junior Livestock Show and Auction, which together with the Ranch Gelding and Select Horse Sales draws buyers from all over the country.
Head on over to the Expo Hall for all that is equine like barrel racing, cutting, ranch sorting and team roping. Learn everything you need to know about these majestic animal athletes in Horse Discovery. Even more exciting is the Youth Rodeo competition, held February 19-22, that features rodeo’s brightest young athletes.
All of this western heritage is offered to keep the Texas tradition alive for generations to come. In fact, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose stated mission is “a volunteer organization that emphasizes agriculture and education to develop the youth of Texas.”
Over $186 million has been committed to Texas youth since inception and is one of the largest educational assistance providers in the state. Helping drive the mission are the 6,000 volunteers that make it all happen. You can’t miss their Texas hospitality to ensure your rodeo experience is remarkable. True to its tagline, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is “More Than An 8 Second Ride,” with something for everyone.
For more information and the entertainment lineup, go to sarodeo.com or download the SA Rodeo app. Tickets start at just $15 for grounds admission, rodeo and concert.
