rodeo rescheduled

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo reschedules 2021 events due to pandemic

The Rodeo will resume in May.

Photo courtesy of RodeoHouston

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has rescheduled its event for 2021. Originally slated to take place in March, the Rodeo will now be held from May 4-23, according to a press release.

Almost all of the rodeo's related events, including the trail ride and parade, Rodeo Run, Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup & Best Bites Competition, and the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest will be rescheduled to match the new dates. However, the Junior Livestock and Horse Show competitions will still be held in March.

“The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is truly a community event that Rodeo fans look forward to each and every year,” said Chris Boleman, Rodeo president and CEO, in a statement. “With the evolving health situation, we have made the decision to move the 2021 Rodeo from March to May . . . We remain dedicated to fulfilling our mission to support Texas youth and hosting a long-time Houston tradition.”

As CultureMap columnist Ken Hoffman predicted in his column this week, moving from March to May will come with a number of advantages. Specifically, the chance for cold or rainy weather will be significantly diminished. After all, no one likes a soggy carnival.

Delaying the Rodeo's start also boosts the possibility that coronavirus vaccines will have reached more of the general public, which would make it possible for people to resume gathering in large groups.

Details about the specific dates for the pre-rodeo events, the 2021 concept lineup, and all health and safety procedures will be announced by early March. Previously, organizers said they hoped to make the 2021 lineup one to remember.

“My plan is to have a 2021 lineup that is bigger, better, and gives everybody in our audience in the Houston metro a reason to come out and celebrate,” Jason Kane, manager of entertainment and concert production, told CultureMap in April. “I think Houston will deserve it, all the rodeo fans deserve it, and I think they’ll all be looking for a real celebration in 2021.”

The rodeo's sudden shutdown on March 11 was the first sign locally of how disruptive efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 would be to daily life. With new dates announced for next year's event, the potential for Houstonians to be eating turkey legs and listening to live music seems much more promising.

rodeo

Fun times in the city

Houston lets loose as one of America's 10 most fun cities in 2024

RodeoHouston.com

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Houston is showing off its fun-loving side in WalletHub's new ranking of the top 10 most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked H-Town No. 9 this year, in a 10-place hike from its 2023 ranking of No. 19.

WalletHub's experts compared 182 U.S. cities across 65 metrics to determine the level of "fun" for each city. The metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Houston performed the best in the overall nightlife and parties category (No. 15). The city earned special recognition for having the No. 1 most dance clubs per capita in a three-way tie with Las Vegas (No. 1 overall) and San Francisco (No. 7 overall).

In the category for entertainment and recreation, Houston ranked No. 23 with the fifth highest number of park playgrounds per capita. Consider The Commons at Hermann Park, which has one of the best free playgrounds in the city. NRG Stadium, the home of the Houston Texans, is also one of the most affordable tailgating destinations in America.

Houston performed the worst in the overall cost category, but it technically only ranked No. 25 out of all 182 cities, which demonstrates just how affordable Houston is in comparison to the rest of the country.

Potential Newstonians should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) was the only other Texas city to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list, moving up one spot from its rank as No. 7 in 2023. Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are San Antonio (No. 25), Dallas (No. 31), El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

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