Save The Dates: 5 Pre-Rodeo Events You Won’t Wanna Miss
Source: 2025 Pre Rodeo Events / General
It’s official: We are less than 60 days away from Rodeo 2025, which kicks off on March 4th. And while anticipation for the start date grows as the big day gets closer, here are five pre-rodeo events you’ll definitely want to add to your calendar.
World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, presented by Cotton Holdings: Feb. 27 – March 1
More than 250 barbecue teams will compete in the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 27 – Saturday, March 1. Over the course of three days, teams from across the state of Texas and the world will compete for champion titles in the following categories: Brisket, Ribs, Chicken, Go Texan and Dutch Oven Dessert, and Open Contest. The Jr. Cook-off Contest, for children between the ages of 8 and 14, will be held Friday, Feb. 28.
Rodeo Roundup & Go Texan Day: Friday, Feb. 28
All Houstonians are invited to attend this free event in downtown Houston on Friday, Feb. 28 at Houston City Hall in Hermann Square. Mayor John Whitmire’s Go Texan Day proclamation will kick off the event. Enjoy live music and visit with Rodeo volunteers representing the more than 100 committees to learn more about this annual Houston tradition.
Go Texan Day, the city-wide celebration of Western heritage, will also be held Friday, Feb. 28. As the unofficial kickoff of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, everyone in the Houston community is encouraged to wear their best Western attire. Get ready for Rodeo in your favorite jeans, boots and cowboy hats.
Trail Rides: Friday, Feb. 28
On Friday, Feb. 28, horses and wagons from 10 trail rides will make their way through the city streets to merge and camp one final night at Memorial Park before participating in the Downtown Rodeo Parade on Saturday, March 1. This continues a 71-year-old tradition that keeps Western heritage alive in the nation’s fourth largest city.
Rodeo Run, presented by ConocoPhillips: Saturday, March 1
Rodeo Run will be held Saturday, March 1. The run will precede the Downtown Rodeo Parade and will kick off with the wheelchair race, followed by the 10K and 5K timed and untimed events. Additional details will be announced when finalized.
Downtown Rodeo Parade: Saturday, March 1
The Downtown Rodeo Parade, one of the Rodeo’s most cherished annual traditions in Houston, will be held on Saturday, March 1. Houston is transformed from a bustling metropolis to a down-home celebration of Western heritage. Decorative floats intermingle with thousands of men and women on horseback to fill the streets with hoof beats and marching bands. Enthusiastic Houstonians join out-of-town spectators to line the streets and sidewalks to be involved in one of Houston’s most popular celebrations.
