Update: The Houston Rodeo has now been canceled due to Coronavirus.

Follow These Tips to Ensure You’re Living Your Best Rodeo Life

It’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo season! As one of the largest rodeos in the country, Rodeo Houston is as authentic a Texan experience as you can get. Whether you are most looking forward to the concerts, the rodeo, the carnival, or the food, we want to ensure you have the most fun by keeping you safe. Here are our Rodeo Houston safety recommendations:

1. Take hand sanitizer – and make sure you wash your hands. In addition to the 2 million+ people expected to attend the 3 weeks of the Houston Rodeo, there are also a lot of animals. From the Livestock show, to the AGVENTURE (including a birthing center, petting zoo, honeybee exhibit, and milking barn – among others), to the ranch and wildlife expo, there is no getting around the germs. Make sure you practice proper handwashing and pack the hand sanitizer as back up.

2. Don’t overdo it on the food and drinks – It seems that the rodeo is known almost as much for it’s food as for the events. With the BBQ cookoff, carnival food (with fried, well, EVERYTHING), a wine garden, and of course, beer, it’s easy to go overboard with the stomach-ache inducing foods. But try to curb your cravings and take it easy on the drinking and fried foods. Trust us, your gut will thank you (and probably your cholesterol and blood pressure, too).

3. Wear appropriate attire – It seems appropriate to bust out the boots for the rodeo, but really, it depends on who you are and what you’re doing at the rodeo. If you wear your boots and jeans regularly, then wearing them all day or all night at the carnival, concert, or livestock show might not be difficult. But if you only bust the boots out for rodeo season, you will probably find yourself more comfortable in athletic shoes. And, of course, it’s March in Texas, so check the weather for the day before leaving the house.

4. Stay hydrated – As we mentioned in #3, it’s March in Texas. It could be 50°, it could be 100°. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water, especially if you are outdoors. Dehydration can cause a host of symptoms that can ruin your day – either from discomfort or from a visit to an ER – including headaches, muscle cramps, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, confusion, or fainting. 

5. Keep the stress to a minimum – know thyself – and your own capacity for traffic, people, and stress. If fighting traffic or searching for a parking spot is going to stress you out, make plans for one of the various alternatives into the rodeo – METRORail, Park & Ride, Lyft or Uber, or even carpooling with friends. If you aren’t a person who likes to ‘wing it’, buy your tickets in advance on the website and make a plan for the activities you most want to participate in. Also, keep in mind the tips above, which will help keep you from stressing out over germs, feeling uncomfortable, or worse.  

We love The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and hope you have a great time this rodeo season! And remember – if you overdo it on the fried oreos, or forget to wash your hands and get sick, your Best Neighbors are always here for you!