Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo

Having been to the Texas State Fair and the Houston Rodeo, I think I expected a little more from our Rodeo. Granted, it’s Austin so it won’t be nearly as large, but I wasn’t expecting this weird mix between a small town rodeo and a shifty carnival.
The carnival part was pricey — $ 1 for a token, 4 tokens for a ride. Classic carnival fare like funnel cake, pizza on a stick, turkey legs is available. Domestic beers are $ 8 and they have wine-​a-​ritas. There’s a small shopping area as well with rhinestone belts, boots, hats and rodeo garb. Most things are cash only some come prepared or pay $ 5 to pull money out.
We were there for a concert (Boyz II Men… whoooooop!) and the setup was kind of sad. I mean, you’re on bleachers and stuff and that’s fine, but they pull out a smallish stage set up foldable chairs for VIP. The sound system was pretty atrocious and seemed like it was actually breaking down at the end with a lot of feedback.
Overall, it’s a fun time I think if you’ve got kiddos, if you’ve got friends in the BBQ competition or if you can figure out where the petting zoo is, but don’t go expecting a big rodeo to do.

Rodeo Austin goes on for days and has different performers that play after the rodeo events. It takes place at the Austin exposition center and the grounds around it. They have basically free BBQ and drink tents (they ask for a donation) and a pretty large fair with multiple rides. You can wander through the stable areas where they hold all the animals, check out pig races and buy items from the various sellers that set up booths. The main event is the actual rodeo which was fast paced and entertaining. They have bareback bronc riding, team roping, calf tipping, mutton bustin’, bull riding and more. The rodeo was just shy of two hours and afterwards is the music performance. We saw Josh Turner last night and he was great! The music portion lasted about an hour. Anywhere you sit you are easily able to see and not all the seats fill up. So if you wanted to, you could always move around the venue. Parking was $ 10 and we had no issues parking or leaving, since we parked right near the exit. Didn’t even take us five minutes to get out of the lot.

Came for the Rodeo last night and I had a blast. This was my first time at the Austin rodeo and we picked a night with the BBQ cookoff which was great! We walked around various tents getting free beer, brisket, chicken, sausage and sides and had a few really good samples of brisket. All the bbq people were really friendly and appreciative of the tips and were pushing free beer on you which is great.
After stuffing ourselves we went into the rodeo and enjoyed that as well. They have 8 different events each with about 10 competitors, and and the pacing was great as they moved from one competitor to the next and from event to event with almost no delay at all so there was no time to get bored. The Rodeo culminated with bullriding and a great final ride by the last competitor. The view from pretty much anywhere in the expo center is good for the rodeo, so I wouldn’t even bother paying for the really pricey seats up front as even the corner seats weren’t bad. Plus there is a fair amount of empty bleacher seating scattered about so you can mosey up closer if needed.
Immediately following the rodeo, a couple of tractors, of course, dragged in the stage and in about 15 minutes set up for the post rodeo country music concert which was played by Josh Turner the night we went. The concert was roughly an hour or a bit over and was a lot of fun. Josh Turner played a lot of great songs, and the sound system was surprisingly good. The stage very slowly rotated so everybody got a view of the front of the band each song or so too which was cool.
Following the Rodeo we walked through the livestock area taking a look at the enormous longhorns, cows, hogs, rabbits, chicks, sheep, etc… which was pretty interesting.
We didn’t really go into the carnival area, but there are tons of rides, as well as lots of carnival fare ranging from calf fries, fried chicken on a stick, funnel cakes, lemonade, plenty of bbq, etc…
Wear some shoes you don’t mind stepping in some landmines in, when you come and be prepared for a lot of fun. You might even win an AR-​15 assault rifle for your $ 3 raffle ticket!

I love Rodeo Austin! If you think this one is small, you definitely don’t want to see San Antonio’s. Remember that the rodeo is a legit nonprofit, a 501©(3) and most of the people who work on/​for the rodeo are volunteering their time. There are tons of committees to get involved in, and the BBQ competition is always a good time.
It’s a freaking rodeo, yes, you sit on bleachers, no, you don’t get posh lounge chairs. Would you rather be sitting on a bucking horse instead? Enjoy the fact that the arena is so small you could practically (I exaggerate a little) reach out and touch the entertainer! Nothing like the 70,000 seat reliant stadium at the Houston rodeo.
The mutton busting is held in a separate tent, so find it on the schedule and don’t miss it.

A great experience for first timer. I bought the tickets online the night before and picked-​up my ticket onsite.
I was excited for my first time rodeo experience, as you get to watch different events with horses and bulls. After a while it all started to look the same to me that I ended up taking a break during the show to grab the Fredricksburg sausage (highly recommended).
The most memorable moments were the little kids who were riding the sheep as far as it they can stay on it. I felt really bad when they fell down. They were all good sports and I’m sure they practiced and practiced as none of them cried. All in all it was a great experience watching the cowboys do their thing with the horses. A rodeo is one of those things you can cross off your bucket list and something everyone should experience at least once in their life.
I stayed for the local country band in the end and was amused watching the young Texans grooving to the music. Here in LA, that we be so UNcool to do.

Went to the Rodeo for only 1 reason, The BBQ Cook-​off. Got there early on Friday and did NOT pay for parking. Not much going on b4 the servers started so Waled around and saw the Fair kind of stuff: Pigs, goats, cows, horses & dogs. Sat for an hour or more watching these sheep dogs try to get the sheep around some pylons and a pen and into the holding pen. Fun time seeing the owners shout or whistle their dogs to do their thing.
I then ventured to the Cook-​off. Still early, so all of the venues not serving. This is a Charity event. Not one of those «professional» things where guys take things TOO seriously. Good variety of Ribs and Brisket. Some good sides too. Go back if in town for this event next year, but would go later in the day. Then, I might have to pay for parking. Cook-​off donations go to worthwhile causes.
Johnny Chitown

Expect to pay $ 10 for parking although I observed some folks park offsite and walk to the grounds presumably for free.
I had free tickets to Founders Club from work so I went. It’s free to get in to the fair area but you need tokens for the rides. Not my sort of thing so I passed.
Up at the «Exclusive Club» they check your ticket three times before they give you a wristband… I thought this was ridiculous as I am all about efficiency.
Beer is $ 5 but for my high maintenance self, my gray goose and red bull was $ 10 plus $ 2 tip… ouch.
I went ahead and purchased a seat for the Josh Turner concert, tack on another $ 25 and these «free» tickets are starting to get pretty expensive.
I will say everyone I dealt with was extremely friendly!
Although I was dressed like your typical city dweller I was treated kindly, with respect and attended to properly so you can leave your cowboy hat and boots at home although they would be very welcomed.
I was just thinking how old this «exclusive» venue is when I saw a poster of a previous rodeo and it was dated 1951, can you say «remodel»? Probably have not since 1951.
Down at the main stage yes the seats were hard but not horrible, as expected for stadium type seating.
The rodeo music could use some updating as well I mean –Flash Dance, She’s a Maniac, –Billy Idol, White Wedding and the theme song to Rocky… Really? Fire your DJ Please!
Admittedly you might find two out of three of those songs in my library… OK, maybe three out of three.
Now, joking aside, I believe Rodeo and country music are interesting and important parts of the American culture and tradition and especially in Texas, it’s nice to see the enthusiasm and participation.
Definitely take your kids there at least once.

Well… we payed $ 10 to park, ~$ 25 just to get in not counting tokens for rides. And i expected that so wonderful. We were having a good time and watching my kiddos ride the wide variety of carnival rides. All was going super and everyone was enjoying themselves.
Then came the police on bikes and golf carts and on foot… clearing a path through the crowd of families and children who had payed money to enjoy the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo and have a good time. This was the Austin Police Dept, the Travis County Sheriffs, And the Department of Public Safety officers in addition to fair security. Why may you ask… To allow the elite entertainers that were apparently going to be performing that night to bull-​storm there way through the crowd and cut in front of children and families who had been waiting in line for 10 – 20 min to ride these rides.
The golf carts full of the elites arrived and went straight onto the rides, cutting in front of everyone who had been waiting in line. I watched this spectacle and was amazed at the bombastic and callousness of the police and the «oooh look at me «attitude of the Teen Idols getting to ride whatever and wherever and whenever they wanted with a police escort. I actually followed this for 3 – 4 rides until i was so disgusted i could not watch it anymore.
I gathered the kids as we had been there for several hours anyway and left…
I will NEVER go to this fair ever again. The total disrespect they showed to all the paying customers and the forceful over the top police enforcers for the pompous Teen Sweetheart Idols was simply ridiculous and something i will never put up with again.

Here’s the down low: the venue is small. So, if you think that no matter where you sit, you’ll see the stage; then, you would be correct. If you think that any seat in the house is good; then, you would be wrong, my friend.
The upper-​tier is on bleachers. And, not just any bleachers, but the most uncomfortable bleachers in the history of forever. They are so awful, that all venues should learn from Star of Texas’ mistake.
For one, they are rickety. If a husky individual leans back, all parties on the bleacher will feel it. Two, the back isn’t solid. Meaning your butt hangs over the edge if you want to sit up straight. Three, this means that every time you cross your legs, you end up kicking the people in front of you. AND, Fourth, with being in the upper tier, you are so close to the air-​conditioner that you are one step away from being in a meat-​locker.
Concert was good, I won’t lie. And, sound system wasn’t shabby either. But, the seats were THAT uncomfortable that I’ll never be back if I have to sit in upper-​tier.

What a rip-​off. $ 10.00 for parking, another $ 11.00 entrance fee (7 for me, 4 for my son.)
Since when do carnivals charge entrance fees?
Only went to play games (son does not like the rides). 3 tokens avg per game ($ 1.00 per token).
$ 3.00 for a small snow cone, $ 4.00 for a tart candy apple.
We were going to get a cotton candy but at 6 tokens (6.00 a gab– said he** no.
I should have said that about that whole evening and gone to the Dell Diamond carnival instead (did not know it was in town).
Lesson learned, never again.
Spent a totoal of $ 53.00-Heres what we were abble to do: parking, entrance fee, 7 games, 1 small tart candy apple and one samll snow cone.
Save your money.

I went to the fair and rodeo for the first time this year. I went for a concert and the rodeo more so than the carnival.
It is expensive but that is typical of a fair and no surprise. I had the fried taters and two soft drinks and both were good and overpriced.
I had a good time watching the rodeo and the concert.