Rodeo Austin

Rodeo Austin delivers exactly what you’d expect—an action-packed, high-energy experience that’s both fun and entertaining. From thrilling rodeo events to the incredible talent of cowboys and cowgirls showing off their skills, the show is truly a spectacle. The live music adds a great vibe and keeps the energy going strong throughout the event. That said, the food options could definitely be better. There’s not much in the way of healthy choices—mostly your typical fried fair fare, which might not work for everyone. Also, I have to call out the petting zoo. While it’s a fun attraction for kids, it felt a bit unsafe. Some of the goats and animals have horns, and they were getting a little aggressive at times. With small children around, that setup could definitely be rethought for safety. But overall, Rodeo Austin is a great time and well worth a visit. It’s a unique mix of Texas tradition, entertainment, and community spirit that you won’t forget.

Rodeo Austin is just the right size if you need a break from the enormity of its Houston counterpart. Tickets are affordable and parking and concessions are reasonable as well. Although there is not an expansive livestock show or fair (there is a small one), the proximity to the rodeo and concert action is well worth the price of admission. There are good up and coming acts as well as some old favorites most years. The entire show is enjoyable as there is not a bad seat in the house. If you want to avoid the mega crowds of Houston or San Antonio, Rodeo Austin is a great alternative.

As always, Rodeo Austin is a blast. They really do need to branch out with better food, in that regard Rodeo Houston blows them out of the water… no contest! Every seat at Rodeo Austin is great. Parking prices have gone up which is annoying.

Had a fantastic time on our first visit to Rodeo Austin. The parking is well organized and is easy to get in and out of. The rodeo itself was fun and entertaining, and the live music was excellent. The acoustics were good and the are a is small enough that you get to see everything up close. We didn’t get a chance to check out the other areas but I was told it was great. We’ll definitely be back.

We went to the BBQ cook-off and had a great time. The BBQ was all pretty good, but the wait at each tent was quite long while we were there. We headed over to the carnival for a bit afterwards and that was fun as well. Just like any carnival, it was all quite pricey, but it was expected. This was definitely something we will attend again next year.

Everything was insanely expensive!!! Sill had a good time though. Had some fun shopping and rides. Recommend you eat before coming unless you really want some carnival food.

Rodeo Austin puts on great performance inside the closed roof stadium. The volunteers and production staff were very nice and welcoming. I had the chance to see a number of musicians too. The stage set up swiftly after the epic Rodeo events with 20-30 mins in the middle of the arena so it made things easy by not having to move seats. Absolutely will be back again next year and the years to come

March 2024 BBQ Austin is part of the festivities for Rodeo Austin but occurs a week before. BBQ pitmasters compete in challenges but also share their BBQ to the public in return to help raise money for charities. There are two public entrances for general parking so traffic backs up and recommend arriving early. To help the staff check you in it is better to purchase both parking and admission online on the Rodeo Austin website before arriving here. Make sure to wear either comfortable shoes or boots where you will be doing a lot of walking mostly on gravel. The BBQ Austin grounds has a lot of tents and pits but there is another separate section for the carnival (admission included with BBQ Austin). You cannot take alcohol into the carnival side. I encourage to bring a lot of cash for when you are provided drinks (non and alcoholic) and food you are encouraged to drop money in a bucket for charity. Seems like all had QR codes but I could not scan then using either Cash App or Venmo. I was able to get some samples of chicken, sausage, brisket, pork, and crawfish. The food was really good and many tents have live music with well known Texas country artists. You can spend the whole day drinking and sampling food over course the day. But you can also go into the carnival where you can purchase hamburgers, turkey legs, chicken on a stick and other carnival style foods. To ride the carnival rides you can buy wristbands and the carnival games accept cash. There is also a petting zoo. Overall an outdoor activity with beer, music and food unlike next week where everyone heads indoors for the rodeo events.

This was literally my first rodeo. Yeehaw!! I had so much fun. I like that there is a carnival happening on the grounds as well. It was fun to walk around and see rides, food vendors, and piggy races!! The rodeo building itself is clean with shopping and booze. Everything is run like a well-oiled machine. The rodeo performances themselves were nothing short of incredible. I mean I've seen roping and other cowboy things in movies. But, there is absolutely nothing like the real thing Really fun entertainment. I hope I have family or friends visiting next year because we're totally taking them to the rodeo.

If you haven't been to a rodeo before, I would highly recommend coming here. It's a great all around very patriotic American experience with lots of families, carnival food, and country music. Thoroughly entertaining! Cowboys and cowgirls were awesome.

It is always fund to go to the fair and rodeo. However, the carnival games were a bit more expensive and the workers seemed to be stressed and sometimes rude.

A hoot and a half and super fun for all ages. We really enjoyed the rodeo and country concert. It was well organized, super entertaining, and lively. Some tips: 1. Expect to take 15-20 min to park. Bring cash for parking, it's faster ($15) 2. Rodeo can get loud for kids. Consider earplugs for them. 3. Get tickets online to avoid lines and get best spots for your buck. 4. Bathroom line is crazy during breaks. Go during the show.

It's a rodeo, expect dirt, expensive Carnival rides, and expensive greasy or sugary foods, nothing nutritious - its a rodeo. Get a Funnel Cake, ride the zipper (or don't), expect lines to the bathroom, and all that comes with rodeo arenas. But it's fun- I have a rodeo background so I understand the rules of the sport and can look at it from a different perspective than someone who is going for entertainment and viewing. I recommend people who don't know the sports, watch a few YouTube videos, so they can more fully enjoy the events. That said, this year, the stock was impressive. We went last night and in comparison to last year, this bucking stock was something to admire. Now yes, there is some luck associated with what stock will be in the rodeo as well as what riders but I had to point out that last night was impressive in terms of the animals. Only 1 cowboy managed to finish his 8-second rides. That isn't great for the riders who pay entry fees and are trying to get their points toward the NFR, nor great for folks who are surprised to see so many 3-second rides, but it says something about the quality of stock, rider, and luck. I don't like certain events for reasons that don't need to be described here but if you like rodeo, this is a good rodeo. Now, on to the concert. This year- like last year - I have to say the sound quality is sketchy but this year is was just too much to sit through. I know it's hard to get good sound in these sorts of venues, but the singer's voice was inconsistent despite what seemed to be his attempt to keep the mic on point, the instruments were often louder than the vocals making it hard to hear the lyrics, it was not a good position to be in for that performer (Walker Hayes). As much as I love his music, I had to leave about 30 minutes in because the sound quality was just that disappointing. I'm glad to have supported him, but the road needs a better sound tech.

I really enjoy the carnival at the rodeo a lot. I think the prices for entry and rides are reasonable if you take full advantage of them, especially in comparison to similiar attractions. I feel like its the best I could expect from a rodeo carnival, and Ive gone almost every year that Ive been been alive and able to. There are only a couple things I would change. First, I feel like the prices for food and games outside of the rides are way too much. I understand that at every event like this, that kind of thing is going to be expensive, but its still disappointing when peoples needs for water and stuff are capitalized on. Im pretty sure for the lemonades they were selling it was something like 16 dollars. My friend bought french fries that were 10 dollars, and I expected it to be a "Texas size" portion because of how expensive it was, but the portion wasnt that much different than a regular one, and they were also just kinda bad. Lastly, I don't think any of the food stands took cash as a form of payment, which I partially understand, but at the same time, I feel like theres so many kids and teens there whos only option is to pay with cash. Their solution to this is to provide the option of putting money on cards and calling it, "Magic Money," but you have to pay 2 dollars to get the card, and then if you dont use all of it you cant get the money back off the card, so it either goes to waste, or you have to somehow spend the exact amount you put on the card, or you have to come back next year and spend more money. It just makes the whole process feel like a scam. If you were able to use cash someone could bring 20 dollars, and then use 17.65 of it and then have a leftover 2.35 to go spend in life however they want, but if you have to turn cash into Magic Money, theres nothing inexpensive enough to spend the 2.35 on, and you either have to add more money to the card, or just let that money go. Again, I understand why they do what they do, but that doesnt translate into it being less annoying or inconvenient. Second, I wish they maintained the restrooms better. I didnt have high hopes since theyre porta potties and its a rodeo in Texas, but they were still very very gross. Like grosser than the average porta potty. I feel like this sounds like a really negative review, because I mostly just talked about what I would change, but overall I think the carnival is fantastic. I havent been to the main rodeo part since I was a little kid, but I love all the options at the carnival. They have so many fun rides, and there was fun music playing throughout everything, and the lights were really awesome during the day, but when it got to night the whole atmosphere became enhanced and it felt very magical. I like that theres a lot of variation in the types of rides, so little kids have a lot to choose from as well as older kids/people who might enjoy a different type of ride. Despite there not be plentiful seating, no one's stopping you from sitting on the grass which is lovely, and I like that thats a possibility, and parking isnt too complicated.

rodeo itself was ok I guess but carnival is EXTREMELY overpriced. I paid $40 fot two corn dogs and two sodas seriously? The parking employees and ride employees are extremely rude and seem like they hate their life. Got my phone stolen from one of the ride employees too. waisted a bunch of money and got my phone stolen. This was supposed to be a fun first time experience for my daughter and I, but it turned out to be a night of regret. Save your money and definitely avoid carnival.

Complete robbery... yesterday I went to sea world and spent $260 for 2 ... came here and spent 200 for less entertainment and shitty food. $8 cotton candy is crazy.. $22 for funnel cake. Half the rides and games don't post prices so they just scam u. I will Literally will just take my 300 to sea world or six flags and have a better time on rides that are inspected and up to date. Only thing I enjoyed was the lady giving my my tickets. I believe Amy. Super nice and welcoming.

What an amazing day! You can spend money quick here, but you get to do a little bit of everything. 1. Buy your tickets online. We saved 30 minutes by doing this. 2. They take card everywhere so you don't need to worry about carrying enough cash. 3. You can bring in your own waters. They have fountain drinks for $8 that are refillable for $4. 4. They have regular toilets not just port-a-poties (thank goodness). 5. Rodeo lasted 2 hours. The bleachers have backs so it's comfortable enough. 6. You need to buy credits on a $2 card for all rides and games. There aren't enough kiosks at peak times so you may need to wait 10-15 minutes to load. We had an amazing time. I highly recommend.

We had so much fun! We look forward to rodeo ausrin every year!! So much fun for my little and whole family! My daughter is 40 inches and was bales to ride a bunch of rides. Entrance fee for children three and younger is free, 10$ for adults and unlimited ride wristbands were 40$ a pop. I will say, like any fair or carnival food is expensive with small portions, but what can you expect! A hoot for the whole family! We saw free shows, concerts a lot of interactive things!

The rodeo itself was fun (aside from 10 minutes of Jesus prayer before it began, seriously?), seats were reasonable, and the kids had a great time. The vendors in the pavilion were good as well. What was a total scam is the fairgrounds/carnival. $15 for essentially a chicken nugget (chicken on a stick), $15 for a lemonade, $25 for fries and shrimp. Rides were overpriced, carnival games overpriced. No one took cash, and everything had a tacked on processing fee for credit cards. Literally no way to avoid it. I got $2 for feed for the kids for the petting zoo and the lady told me it would be $2.50 because of credit card fees. I said 'sure I will pay cash then' and she said they wouldnt take it. Next time we will avoid the fairgrounds all together, eat dinner before, and stick just to the rodeo, and I advise everyone else who isn't loaded with cash to do the same.

Austin rodeo... awesome! EXCEPT... you can pay cash to park but that's it. Food & drink don't take cash for purchase but the sure as heck accept cash as tips! Wtf?

The carnival game vendors are stealing money. I told the lady that I didn't know if I had enough money on my card. She told me she could scan it and check it and she drained the balance. I didn't even realize until I left! I feel violated.

We recently went to the rodeo and really enjoyed all of the activities for kids - animals, petting zoo, piglet races. It was pretty fun. The food options are not great but were actually better than most fairs and carnivals. My main critique was at the end: there were a bunch of booths selling regular items for purchase like hats... and one of them had these awful flags and T-shirts supporting killing people - school kids, immigrants, violent gun slogans, etc. Completely unnecessary at a family friendly event and the Rodeo should not allow that booth to sell their wares here.

Do not volunteer....I have been volunteering for 3 years at rodeo Austin. We go to a meeting once a year before the start of the Rodeo to pick up our badge and parking pass. We were told that RA has lost 19 volunteers from last year, I wonder why. Well today RA lost another one. Here is what we are told to enforce working the arena. "We have been asked to be more cognizant of who is allowed into the arena with badges. People can no longer flash any badge to get into the arena. If their badge does not allow arena access (our badges are for Fairgrounds only) we must stop them and ask about their purpose in the arena, if they say they are working, then they need to check in at the Volunteer Shack to pick up their vest. If the Shack is closed, we must radio David Mason, Steve Summers or Tia Miller to come meet with the individual(s). Children of volunteers cannot use their parent's badge to enter the arena. There will be charts at each entrance of this year's badges and where they are allowed to go." I was working an entrance there was not charts stating where they are allowed to go. At one time you may have 20 to 30 people trying to get in the entrance. My partner was scanning tickets and I was stamping left hands, well here comes a quote un quote higher up volunteer wanting to walk in I thought my partner scanned his ticket so I stamped his hand. He started yelling at me that he did not need his hand stamped. I said sorry but he keeps on yelling about who he is on the rodeo committee. I don't care who he was no one needs to be talked down too. He keeps on yelling for 30 seconds or so, with people backing up at the door. It was a stamp on the hand what's the big deal. Finely, I told him F. U. and move on. Even my partner backed me up. Well, he got a little butt hurt and when and had a hissy fit. And told the person I report to and they asked me to leave, Hey no problem. I am a VOLUNTEER and 65 years old; I don't need to be talked down too or berated. I have volunteered at many of organizations and have never had a problem with patron or volunteers. Maybe this is why A R is lousing volunteers. Good luck R A at least for the kids you help.

The people and staff are so friendly and the attractions and things to see are great. Love the outdoor music stage. Rodeo was full of action. Food on site was a little pricey, but many great options. Well run and fun for the whole family.

Not much to do! Food extremely expensive and poor quality!! Expensive parking! Rodeo ticket prices are the same for standing or sitting doesn't make sense.

This actually WAS my first rodeo...and I don't really know what the difference is from the state fair (state fairs have petting zoos, animals etc) - just the fact that it's in Texas? I guess I didn't attend the actual rodeo segment? Parking: $10. CASH ONLY. There's a gas station w ATM at end of street. Admission: 13+ $8; 3-12 $5; 2 under free. Apparently they charge extra fees if you buy online even though it says discount. Cards are taken here Unlimited ride wristband: $30 online/$40 gate. We went around 11am and they had signs for half price. So if you buy 11-4 it's $20 and can be used until 5. Cards are taken (buy at admission window). *Kids under 36 inches: do not buy a wristband as there are only 3 rides that allow (carousel, swings and a car - over by kiddie area). I asked admission guy and he said I should buy for my kiddo bc there were a good amount of rides for them... Tokens: $1 each. Rides range from ~3-5. Games $2-6. Food: most food has to be purchased with tokens. Cotton candy 6 tokens. Shaved ice 4. They have funnel cake, turkey legs, corn dogs etc Booze: I saw one "margarita" tent and one or two beer tents. I saw one post about free booze- I def did not see that; maybe that was the day Miller Lite hosted Music: different band each night. I posted 2016 schedule in pics. Free music at kase/kvet stage daily 1, 3, 5pm. Additional 11:30 show sat and sun Map grounds: posted in pics All in all: exhausting ~ glad I went during the week and not the weekend! But it is during spring break week so I'm sure week is still more packed than normal, though we didn't have to wait in line for any rides during the day (it was just hot - bring sunscreen!) Pig races: daily 10:45, 11:45, 1:45, 3:45, 5:30, 7:30 Wild West show: trick rope artist, sheep dog riding monkeys?, rodeo railroad. See pic of daily show times. Kids town: petting zoo open 11-8 (free except fee if want to feed animal 3-5 tokens). Pony rides $6. More for pic. Dairy milking show - see pic for daily show times Runs March 16-26 2016 10am-midnight. The end! ;)

This rodeo is a miniature version of Rodeo Houston. It may not be huge but has what it takes to be a true stock show and rodeo. So bring your cowboy hat and boots and enjoy the festivities here. I missed it last year and where I usually attend it every year. I noticed this year the petting zoo and pony rides are now located outside under an enclosed tent structure. New attractions were added like a butterfly exhibit, parakeet bird exhibit, H-E-B taste testing, and craft beer/wine tent. The outdoor music stage was moved next to the craft beer/wine tent. All the food vendors are now pretty much together and carnival is present. However for a small carnival it actually has a lot of rides, but some look a little shotty as if they are hand-me-downs from other carnivals. Check the daily rodeo schedule and make sure to get on their email list. They send out a daily email with the schedule for the day. There are activities during the day like mutton busting, horse shows, dog shows, and pig races. The livestock show is in a big barn structure that houses a show arena, display of farm animals, and livestock stalls. You can get pretty close to the animals so be careful and watch your kids. There are slot of new photo ops for kids like sitting on a real Longhorn steer, artwork from Hope Art Gallery, and petting zoo. The rodeo events are inside the Luedecke Arena where will find more merchandise for sell along with food and drinks. They do all the standard rodeo events but the main course is always bull riding. Afterwards a big name performer closes out the show. Afterwards can stay late and hang out in the 100X Dance Hall listening to live country music, dancing and having more drinks. Excellent way to hang around and let the departing traffic die down

Great fun for the family! Had an amazing time with the rodeo and concert as well as the fair activities. Tickets were very reasonable (about $37 a person for all rodeo, concert, and fair admission for the day and $15 for parking). There are various rides, food, and activities to do at the fair portion such as a petting zoo area. My favorite was the pig races!

Parking is $15. Rodeo tickets were $34 each. The turkey leg and bottle of water were $16. Two more bottles of water and a chicken & waffle on a stick were $15. Two beers at the beer & wine tent were $18. There. Doing things costs money. Get over it. This was the first rodeo I went to on purpose -- the other I stumbled upon waiting for a Darius Rucker concert at Cowboys Dance Hall in San Antonio. I had no idea what to expect and we had a couple hours to kill before the rodeo started so we wandered around. Pig races were stupid cute. Definitely do that. The hog shows were a little uneventful and so unorganized that it was giving me hives. Petting zoo was a bit of a mess because they don't control the number of people who can come in. I was so busy petting the llama that I didn't notice the calf peeing on my shoe. Bleh! And the logic behind having a porcupine at a petting zoo was lost on me. I'm in the early stages of the Keto diet so all the deep fried deliciousness was calling my name but I managed to stick to the giant turkey leg. Boyfriend had a chicken and waffle on a stick. He said the best part was the syrup and something cut up hid mouth, so the food was generally not our friend. But the rodeo was amazing. The bullfighters/ rodeo clowns had a portion of the show where they intentionally gave the bill charge them was crazy. I think I said "oh my goodness" and "WTF?!?" at lest 16 times. Mutton Bustin' is my new favorite sport. I mean, little kids clinging for their lives to a speeding sheep made me gasp and applause the little girl who hung on so much longer than every other kid.

Im from Houston and I have always attended the rodeo in Houston. Coming to the Austin rodeo for the first time was not so bad, it's very small compared to the Houston rodeo but I was ok with it. Didn't have to do a lot of walking lol. I went to see the rodeo and tickets prices are pretty decent. It's super small so any seat is just fine and you can see the shows very well. Where it gets expensive is if you want to eat and drink. Beer was $8 and you have to use tokens. Each token means $1. Make sure to bring cash. The carnival food is very pricey, at least $8 to $10 on any type of food you decide to get. I had a good time but not for what it's worth. I'm glad to say I've been to the Austin rodeo but probably not something I'll decide to join again.

The rodeo was great but the food is ridiculously priced. Whatever you do, do not go to Mr. Sandwich. We bought a Philly cheesesteak sandwich and it dropped on the ground as she handed it to us. They refused to replace it. $12.00 for half a sandwich us unconscious able.

I recently attended the Austin Rodeo to see Josh Abbott Band. Coming from the Houston Rodeo, it was much smaller but still so fun. It was so nice being around people for one of the first times after Covid. There were staff everywhere helping us find our seats and answering questions. Everything was clean and nice. There were a lot of food options as well. I definitely want to go again!

Tons of things to do and see. Carnival was great! Games were typical pricey. Food was great and lots of options. Josh Ward was good. The rodeo staff and actual rodeo was the best I've seen in over 20 years. The entertainment and knowledge and teaching by the announcers was excellent. We were intrigued Ed the whole event. The piece on the charro was amazing. Never seen that live. And his son! What a great family experience!!

Since it was canceled prior years due to covid we are glad to see it is back we first went back in 2018 when we just moved to texas and loved every minute of it from the rides to the little petting zoo which was perfect for our daughter we also loved the food vendors we've already got our tickets and ready to experience it all again

The Austin Rodeo was great. Dustyn Lynch was an amazing proformer. I'm an Austin native so I've definitely been to a few. Best on yet.

Fabulous entertainment. Extremely well produced, and very little down time between events. We attended semi-finals, got there at around 5pm for a 7pm starting time, and walked around the fair grounds and livestock exhibition. The rodeo itself started at 7pm on the dot. The flag was carried by a young horse woman and of course the national anthem was played and sung. The events included bareback bronc busting, steer wrestling, mutton busting (kids riding sheep- a total hoot), team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie down roping, barrel racing, bull riding and more. The rodeo clown was good and kept it short. Some of the bull "fighters" who distract the bull and get it back into the corral under the stage are pretty adept- those bulls are huge and I wouldn't want to get hit by one. Timed in at a little under two hours. Better than most rock concerts and Broadway shows. Audience was cool- some real cowboys, and a hell of a lot of Texans, but if you've been here, you know they are very welcoming. We stayed away from corndogs and beer. Something for everyone. Lot's of kids too (though as others mentioned, a little loud)- they play more contemporary music - C &W rap? and hard rock. Good cause too. They raise money to help youth, in education, cow boy or girling and other "life training." If you saw Yellowstone, this is the real deal. And even if you didn't, this is just perfect as an introduction for the out of town visitor. Hell, I'm originally from NYC metro-- we didn't have rodeos even though people often said, "hey, this isn't my first rodeo." Go!

Had some nice time, but they need to do something about restroom situation! Also some of rides looked too old. Safety wise I would not try.

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(c)(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.

Horrible experience. I had tickets for the rodeo March 19, 2022. Due to the piss poor parking set up, I spent one hour 45 minutes sitting in traffic that was not moving. I missed the entire rodeo therefore lost $93, not to mention the expensive gas that I wasted sitting in the traffic. By the time I parked and walked to the venue the announcer was making his closing remarks. Pissed and disappointed and I will not be going to Austin rodeo in the future.

This was my first rodeo and I was absolutely surprised to find that I loved it!!! We came late but oh my gosh it's exhilarating and also super patriotic watching these guys and gals ride horses and rope bulls. The venue wasn't packed and people working there were helpful. Margaritas were overpriced and watered down but it's still nice having a cold drink in your hand. So much fun!!!!

Rodeo Austin is a fun alternative to all of the SXSW madness. It's a relaxed atmosphere with some good musical acts. I was impressed that the food and beer selections expanded past normal carnival food. You can get a Blood and Honey beer from Revolver or a Mighty Cone (their "food truck" is amazing). Some fun Texas vendors display crafts and wares in the General Store where you can get anything from hats and boots to a sleep number bed. We bought tickets to the Pro Rodeo which was followed by a concert by Dwight Yoakam. The entire night felt very American. If you are looking for a Texas experience going on at the same time that the entire town of Austin feels filled with tourists, the rodeo is the way to go.

Traffic and parking the last two years have been atrocious!!!! The fair and midway were fun as usual, but they manager for traffic should have their metrics revised. Funneling all the traffic in from Decker Lake Rd is more than the rode can handle. They should learn from their predecessor. Even F1 at COTA is way more efficient than this disaster. The traffic into and out of made this an event the family can skip in the future.

Wow they really found any possible way to stick it to you . Over $100 on wristbands for the rides and then a separate admission fee only to find out that only plastic is excepted each credit is five dollars that's crazy oh and they charge for rides that you bought a $40 wristband for i'd rather waste my money on strippers

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.

Every time I go to a rodeo, I get the song Aint Nothin Wrong with the Rodeo in my head. That's neither here nor there but I think a good Garth Brooks song should always be involved in things western-like. I've been to some rodeos in my time and this one was... good for kids? It's totally fine -- the requisite 4H situation with a petting zoo and prize pigs. There's also bull riding and roping for those of you looking for a show. There's also the carnival aspect - questionable rides that cost $4 each that make you barf. Or at least, make me barf. Funnel cakes, turkey legs, corn dogs, pricey beers, wine-a-ritas and all the fair food you can handle bro. They also do concerts here and do them pretty badly actually. We saw Boyz II Men as the fulfillment of all of our karaoke dreams. As you may imagine, a stage that can be pulled out and unfolded in the middle of the arena isn't going to be a super awesome stage. The real issue was the sound though. It sounded like the speakers were literally on their last legs. Of course, when they were handing out roses during I'll make love to you, we didn't totally care. All in all, an inexpensive-ish family experience. I wouldn't go with exceedingly high hopes. This is one thing Houston definitely does better than we do -- but it's a night out that may result in cocktail conversation.

Always come here for my anniversary! This was our first date back in 2012 it's always great to go back! Much love for the rodeo and the rides. Please continue coming never stop!! Best place to make memories

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.

This is my first experience with the Austin Rodeo, but not my first rodeo. Growing up in San Antonio meant the rodeo fairgrounds were a "must" on every adolescent's list. The Austin rodeo seems much smaller than the SA one but still worth the price of admission (cheap seats were $35, a lot less if you're only wanting to go to the fairgrounds) if you get to see an icon like Willie Nelson and cheer for the calves you're hoping won't get roped (why is this still a thing? In fact, one could question why the rodeo is still a thing, but when in Rome..) Parking: $10 and some serious, albeit necessary, control freaks directing where you should park. I would suggest carpooling. Food: We missed the bbq competition by a week but managed to find our share of good fried food. The smoked turkey legs were yummy and could feed a small family; the bratwurst with sauerkraut was pretty good (I grew up in Deutschland, so I'm pretty particular) and the funnel cake was huge-- three of us barely finished it. Rides: lots of scary rides to ride but alas, we did not ride the scary rides this time. Rodeo: This portion lasts 2 hours, the music for about an hour. The calf-ropin' makes me cringe and I could do without, but I enjoyed the barrel raising. I also liked the bull and horse riding but I do wonder what the cowfolks do to piss them off so. After watching Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club, I couldn't help but wonder what other shenanigans go on backstage. Music: Willie and his family put on a good show. I love me some Willie (yes, that's what she said) but with the exception of a few tunes, he seemed to say the words more than sing them, as if he were reading poetry set to music. His son belted out a SRV tune, which I did not expect. Still, I hope Willie was just not feeling great that night. He has such a unique singing voice. Nonetheless, I'm so glad I went. My first concert ever was a Willie Nelson show with my family 35 years ago. I did not want to go way back then because I thought I was a lot more rock than country and so I pretended to hate it, but am secretly glad my parents made me go. Currency: bring cash. Most of the vendors require tokens but take it from me and don't overbuy tokens for food or you'll end up trying to use them up by buying lots of water on your way out. Beers cost $7 (they will take cash or tokens at the "bar").

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.

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!

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.

Came out for $2 Tuesday! All carnival rides & games are $2 each as well as admission to fairgrounds! ONLY it's not all day. The carnival does not open until 4pm. If we had known it was not ALL day we would not have taken off work early to come out as early as we did.

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.

A great smaller rodeo. They do a great job getting talent. Parking is $10. A ticket to the rodeo allows you access to the fair and two smaller outdoor stages. There are no bad seats. They upgraded the bench seats this year and installed backs. Rodeo is before the show. The stage in the middle does turn. Similar to the Houston rodeo but smaller stage. Worth coming early and walking around. Typical big event prices on food, etc. Enjoy the effort of all the volunteers. We will be coming back year after year.

Dont buy tickets online at their $5 discount. it is a scam. They tickets (for kids) all rides included are $30 online and $35 at the door. However, your "discount" for buying online is countered by a $5.75 fee for buying online. Ridiculous. Be up front about your discounts and do try to scam people out of another $.75 per person. My kids do love it there, so we are still going, but will by tickets at the gate.

We have been to the Rodeo before, this was our first tour with a a school group... and it was great fun. Each school group was greeted by their own personal tour guide that helped keep our students on time, and moving from activity to activity. The parent with the lunches was met in the parking lot with a helpful Rodeo person who made sure I lunches were at our assigned location for lunch. Activities were terrific for pint-sized attention spans: petting zoo, "Mustang Makeover" (who had the students entranced, and encouraged (um endured?) a lot of questions, baby chicks, Texas Longhorn, live Texas music (got the wiggles out!), then off to the Pig races.... Somehow we caught a few minutes of a dog frisbee trick show, a big hit with the kids. Great fun, and just the right amount for little feet. Thank you, and see you next year! (Also, we joined the Kids CLub this year, and it was a deal. In exchange for our donation we joined the club, got 2 general admissions, a t shirt and a membership card.)

Really outdid themselves for the Gala, me and the gals had a wonderful time. Food was to die for, loved the ambiance and decor, entertainers were wonderful as well , and don't forget about the open bar! (Sheryl may have enjoyed it a little too much) definitely asking the husband to get us tickets again for next year.