Facts About the Houston Rodeo

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest rodeo and livestock show in the world. It's commonly referred to as Rodeo Houston, and attendance averages nearly 2 million per year. The event takes place over three weeks in Houston's Reliant Park and takes 19,000 volunteers to make it all happen.

  1. Events

    • In addition to the rodeo, there is a carnival, pig racing, livestock judging, food and wine competitions, concerts, and auctions.

    The Parade

    • The show is kicked off with a parade through Houston's downtown area, with more than 100 different groups participating.

    The Beginning

    • The show was started in 1931 and was called "The Houston Fat Stock Show and Livestock Exposition."

    Locations

    • Prior to moving to Reliant Park in 2003, the event was held at Sam Houston Coliseum and then moved to the Astrodome in 1966.

    Barbecue Contest

    • In 1974, the "World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest," also called "The Cookoff," was added. It's a three-day event where more than 250 teams compete to win the title of grand champion. In 2009, more than 217,000 people attended.