The Houston Fat Stock Show was established in 1932 to promote agriculture and celebrate western heritage. Now called The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, or the Houston Rodeo for short, it continues its mission with a focus on Texas youth and education. Since 1932, over $600 million has been dedicated to Texas youth and education.
Everything is bigger in Texas — even the Houston Rodeo.
While the rodeo every day is a big part of the event, there’s much more to the Houston Rodeo than just the “rodeo.” With big-name performers, agricultural exhibits, free shows, carnival rides and more, NRG Park (home of the rodeo) is full of things to do.
For a weekend away at the Houston Rodeo, arriving on Thursday evening is best. Settle into a hotel just south of downtown Houston — Medical Center Area hotels, an Airbnb in Rice Village or a spot in the Astrodome area — for a good spot to stay.
On Friday, take a walk through Herman Park after breakfast at Sunday Press in the park. Spend the day exploring the city at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Natural Science Museum, the Houston Zoo and Rice University — all of which are walkable from the hotel or by the above-ground metro.
Have an early dinner at Tiny Boxwoods in River Oaks, a 15-minute drive from the area, but it’s worth it. Patio dining is king in Houston.
Now, it’s rodeo day. The rodeo is not just about the big stars — although Kelly Clarkson, Riley Green and yes, in previous years, Hannah Montana, drew the Texas crowds. At the heart, it’s a sporting event home to many community and statewide competitions.
Bell Ringing for opening day at the Houston Rodeo.
After a quick breakfast either at the hotel or a nearby coffee shop, take the metro rail red line that runs from downtown and through Midtown, which goes directly to the stadium.
In the evenings, there can be a long wait to get on the metro rail. It gets quite crowded, but it is full of rodeo goers and not the usual downtown crowd. Once on the train, visitors can get to Midtown in about 17 minutes and reach downtown in about 25 minutes. It’s really not that much longer than driving, and with all the traffic, it may even be faster.
The rodeo gates open at 8 a.m.
Take a walk through the agriculture areas to visit with students and volunteers and see animals, from longhorns to horses to sheep. Taste the award-winning wines from the Rodeo Uncorked International Wine Competition, with winners from Texas and national competitors.
The wine garden, which features 13 top winners and 450 additional wines for sale, is a favorite spot among visitors with live music each day.
2026 Wine Reserve Grand Champions at the Houston Rodeo.
The wine garden is outside the northeast corner of the stadium — right between the stadium and NRG Center. It wraps around the Astrodome, and there are a couple of stages, private tents available for rent and tables.
Pro-tip: Go early and get a group together to save a table so people can get up to for food or more wine. There are porta-potties on opposite ends of the garden, which are well-maintained.
There’s also art to view from the high school student rodeo competition and various other art competitions, like quilting.
Riley Green kicked off the wide range of entertainers at the Houston Rodeo with a concert on March 1, 2026.
Make sure to get a snack and some lunch at one of the many carnival vendors outside the stadium before heading into NRG before the main events begin on schedule:
- Monday through Friday, the stadium opens at 6 p.m., rodeos start at 6:45 p.m., and the concert takes the stage at approximately 9:15 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday, the stadium opens at 2 p.m., rodeos start at 2:45 p.m., and the entertainer takes the stage at approximately 5:15 p.m.
Although the daily schedules are different, all of the rodeo sports are entertaining to watch, including bull riding, barrel racing, calf scrambling, mutton busting and a whole program of rodeo sports.
After the concert, the Hideout is open until midnight, as well as many adult-only, 21+ booths in the carnival area with more live music and dancing.
The day after concert day, and a full day of rodeo fun, might drag you down a bit, but Mo Brunch and Brews is the answer for a good pick-me-up before the drive back home.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nola.com ’
