Harris County Officials celebrated the unofficial kick-off of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Thursday morning with the county’s very first “Hat Toss Day”, where they toss the hat to Rodeo officials.
Chris Boleman is the President and CEO of the Livestock Show and Rodeo and said the show has a $227 million impact on Houston.
“Our four pillars are agriculture, education, entertainment, and Western heritage,” Boleman said. “And it all comes together over the next month right here in the city’s most beloved events as we continue to have year-round impact in the community.”
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said local, state, and national authorities are working together to make sure all stock show and rodeo-related events are as safe as possible.
“We’ve been doing this for many, many years, so we’re very confident this is going to be a safe event,” Gonzalez said.
Local officials were also the first riders of the new Joker 360, an attraction that swings its riders 360 degrees into the air. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said the attraction is one of many ways Houstonians will be able to enjoy the festivities.
“I think people here will really enjoy it. Hopefully, people didn’t hear my screams down here. But they were screams of joy,” she said. “This is part of what’s fun about the Rodeo.”
The 50th World Championship Barbecue Contest starts Thursday night and will continue through the weekend. City of Houston officials will celebrate Go Texan Day tomorrow for their own kick-off of the rodeo. The rodeo officially gets underway on Tuesday.