Going to the Houston Rodeo is the best way to start your Spring Break

Every true Texans’ favorite time of year is Rodeo Season, where an entire month revolves around bull-riding, funnel cakes, carnivals, and amazing concerts. The scenery is amazing. The lights, the music, the energy: electric.

If you ever want to introduce a non-Texan to our majestic state, this is the perfect time to do so. I’ve taken full advantage of the rodeo’s intrigue to convince my Vandy friends to spend multiple spring breaks in Houston.

It’s the only time that a city as Urban as Houston can perfectly fulfill every stereotype of the Lone-Star-State while still being set in full party mode.

Businessmen hang up their suits and grab their cowboy hats.

Typically chic, stylish women grab the gaudiest, diamond studded belt buckles available so that they’ll sparkle as bright as the lights flashing in the NFL football stadium converted into a dirt pit.

Boots of leather, gator, and ostrich completely take over the city.

Between clowns, bucking broncos, and bulls, the rodeo can seem intimidating. However, a huge portion of the night involves intense but less dangerous barrel races, chuck wagon racing, roping, calf scrambles, and, my personal favorite, mutton bustin’.

This is when you can cheer on the cutest little cowboys and cowgirls, all between the ages four to seven, clinging on to sheep attempting an eight second rodeo ride.

Both my roommate (Miami) and little in my sorority (New York City) get to enjoy the jaw-dropping culture shock by spending their Spring breaks at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with my Texas fam.

Neither of them had every been to a rodeo before…much less one the size of the HSLR.

The music surprises most people who aren’t familiar with the rodeo. Everyone expects to find solely country artists boot-scootin’ around the dirt arena.

While many of the fantastic performers are country, there are always a hand full of massive world-wide pop stars who come dominate the stage.

Pitbull, Bruno Mars, Jason Derulo, Shawn Mendes, Demi Lovato, and tons more far-from-country acts have taken the stage following the bulls and horses.

On top of that, you get the opportunity to watch millions of people channel their inner cowboys combined with their inner six-year-olds. The chance to eat cotton candy and win giant stuffed animals grabs ahold of that semi-adult inside of you and completely tosses it out the window. This makes the rodeo perfect for college kids.

It’s the best…well most acceptable time in your life to go somewhere without parental supervision and act like you’re on an elementary school playground.

The childhood freedom the rodeo unleashes alone makes it worth the pain-in-the-ass downtown parking.

The hours (and twenties) fly by and you can hardly believe when the night is over. Between drinks, rides, insanely delicious food, and merch from the badass band that played the arena concert, wallets lose almost as much weight as their owners gain.

If you go with a local though, chances are you’ll find her high-school BFFS working the concessions and smuggling you loads of FREE powdered sugar fried Oreos and foot-long corndogs.

The good news is… the night doesn’t ever really have to be over.

Beer can still be found if you know the right people. Late night rodeo parties continue until you can hardly lift your boot another step.

Before you let any outsiders escape the Lone Star State, make sure you really take them for a whirl in the morning. Drive them through The Woodlands Mall where all the cops legitimately ride around on horseback year-round, and then let them try a Kolache.

If anyone reading this doesn’t know what that is…for your own sanity, GO TO TEXAS.