WACO, Texas (KXXV) — The Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo is officially kicking off in Waco with Sneak-a-Peak Night on Thursday, offering discounted admission, new attractions, and a preview of this year’s festivities.
- The Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo began with Sneak-a-Peak Night Thursday, featuring $5 admission and $2 carnival rides.
- This year’s event includes new attractions like chuckwagon races, the Mexican Spectacular Rodeo returning, and lumberjack shows.
- Organizers expect over 200,000 attendees and say months of planning go into bringing the fair to life.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“Just one word… it’s exciting,” CEO of the Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo Dustin Coufal said.
The Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo officially kicks off on Friday —bringing excitement, entertainment, and tradition that draws more than 200,000 visitors each year.
Organizers tell 25 News planning starts the day after the previous fair ends, and pulling it all together takes months of preparation.
“There are a lot of things and moving parts that go into place between getting our attractions moved in, we have our rodeo folks moving in now, we have all the setups going on. It takes a lot of moving pieces and coordination,” Coufal said.
This year’s lineup includes eight nights of live music, nine rodeo performances, and some brand-new attractions.
“They need to come to the rodeo this year. We have an all-new event. Our specialty event this year is the Chuckwagon races, so we’ll have them doing the battle of the banks this year,” Coufal said.
Also new this year - the Mexican Spectacular Rodeo returns on October 12, lumberjack shows, and new food vendors.
“If you like live music we have it, if you like rodeo we have one of the best rodeos in the state of Texas right here in Waco, if you like good food we have it, if you want to go shopping we have it here, if you want to see a livestock show here we have it here as well,” Coufal said.
And it all comes together thanks to more than 600 volunteers who help make the fair possible.
“There is something for everyone to enjoy when they come to the Heart O’ Texas fair and rodeo,” Coufal said.
The fair will run from Oct. 2 through Oct. 12. You can find more information here.
