It's official: San Antonio is stirring the pot with some spicy Texas flair as the Cowboy Breakfast returns in full force for the first time since the pandemic hay day, tethering itself firmly to the annual rodeo shindig. “We are very excited to now activate the official rodeo cowboy breakfast to start the celebration of our 75th Anniversary Stock Show & Rodeo,” Chris Derby, the San Antonio Rodeo's chief marketing officer, enthusiastically declared in a statement obtained by KSAT.
Casting a lasso on January 26, the newly minted official event promises to be more than just a mere appetizer to the Rodeo BBQ Kickoff later that weekend. The breakfast, a beloved staple since 1979, is coming home to roost at 142 Gembler Road. The Cowboy Breakfast Foundation, galloping alongside rodeo volunteers, is whipping up a comeback after a few years of scaled-down gatherings – or none at all, as it was the case when canceled in 2023 due to sponsors sweating under inflation's collar.
More than just a feed, the shindig also fills the coffers for good causes, with proceeds providing scholarships for St. Philip's College's Tourism, Hospitality, and Culinary Arts Department students. According to a KENS 5 report, Derby beamed that this year’s feast will funnel funds via the rodeo’s nonprofit status and mission, emphasizing that “The funds will go to fund scholarships for students in St. Phillip’s College’s Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Arts Department as well of other educational institutions in San Antonio.”
A homage to its roots, the 2024 Cowboy Breakfast ensures that tradition won’t be left behind, utilizing some of the same equipment as yesteryears. “They did such a great job and it has always been known as the official kickoff event, but it was never put on by the rodeo,” Derby told KENS 5. The event not only promises a spread of free breakfast staples but also beckons the community with open arms, not obliging but graciously accepting donations through its Kash for Kids program during the Rodeo BBQ cook-off.
Let's leave the bucking bronco in the corral for now because the San Antonio Rodeo and Cowboy Breakfast collaboration suggests that when it comes to preserving tradition and community spirit, they're not just horsing around. Saddle up, San Antonio – the grill is getting hot, and the coffee's brewing. The rodeo will parade into town soon after, running from Feb. 8-25 at the Frost Bank Center/Freeman Coliseum fairgrounds.
