A NEW RIDE, NEW SHOPS, A NEW SHOE AND A PLUSH TOY
Not only are there new carnival foods (a pink Barbalicious Float, Chocolate Bacon on a Stick and Louisiana Crawfish Cheese Fries) at RodeoHouston 2024, but also a new ride, new shops, a plush toy and earlier weekend starting times.
Get ready for an early start on weekends
The weekend rodeos will start an hour earlier than in years past. Gates at NRG Stadium will open at 2 p.m. for a 2:45 p.m. start time. Weekend concerts will start around 5 p.m.
At 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, a drone light show with 400 drones will light the skies with Western heritage formations.
The World’s Championship BarB-Que Contest, presented Feb.
22-24 by Cotton Holdings, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
The Opening Day Parade kicks off at noon Feb. 27, featuring Cirque du Soleil performers and area high school bands, on the grounds of NRG. Gates open at 10 a.m. and Leon Coffee bobbleheads will go to the first 10,000 paying customers.
And at the Carnival, a new 16seat pendulum ride called the Joker 360 will open, with high-speed and free-fall thrills.
Rodeo features a shopping bonanza
RodeoHouston this year offers a new Carnival toy in Pusheen, based on the cartoon tabby cat created by Claire Belton in 2010. It’s available only at the shops at NRG.
New shopping vendors this year include Astros third baseman Alex Bregman’s Breggy Bomb line of barbecue sauces and rubs, and salsas. HeyDude is another newcomer, and it has created a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo shoe.
These join more than 350 vendors in NRG Center and NRG Stadium, offering everything from boots and hats to Western home décor and farm and ranch tools.
Also new this year: Angry Minnow Vintage, B and B Glass Studio, Carolina Pickle Co., Clayton & Crume, Copper Kettle Popcorn, Dakota West Leathers, Double Trouble Boutique, Laura Lively, Lucky Ranch Style, Snakebite Creative Design, Stonewick, Texas Therasoles, the Barrel Road, the Original Windmill Ceiling Fan Co., VNTG SPLY, Yellow Rose Tack and Supplies.
Leap year special
The rodeo will also have a leap year ticket giveaway for Feb. 29. Leap year birthday celebrants can receive two tickets for the rodeo on Feb. 29. To collect the tickets, the birthday person needs to swing by the HLSR ticket office on the second floor of NRG Center between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays with valid ID showing their birthday.
For more information on the
2024 rodeo, visit rodeohouston.com.