The Helotes Cornyval and PRCA Rodeo is set to take over the Helotes Festival Grounds from April 30 through May 3, bringing carnival rides, family activities and three nights of professional rodeo to the northwest edge of San Antonio. The four-day throwdown marks Cornyval’s 61st anniversary, with late-night headliners paired with daytime programming for kids and families. For many local nonprofits it is also one of the biggest fundraising weekends of the year, with vendors and volunteers running food stands and booths across the grounds.
Event schedule and headliners
Gates open at 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday. Nighttime shows this year feature The Spazmatics on Thursday, Wade Bowen on Friday and David Lewis on Saturday. The festival lists free Sunday admission for all ages and offers $250 VIP tables for those who want reserved space near the main pavilion. These and other schedule details are posted on the festival's official site, according to Cornyval.org.
Rodeo and attractions
The festival arena will host three PRCA rodeo performances that include bull riding, barrel racing and other standard rodeo rounds. StrideEvents notes the rodeo performances are produced in partnership with the Andrews Rodeo Company, a longtime regional rodeo producer; see StrideEvents for the event listing.
Community lift and vendors
Cornyval doubles as a major fundraiser for Helotes-area nonprofits, schools and community groups, with more than 100 vendors and organizations operating booths throughout the weekend. The Helotes Chamber’s event listing calls the festival the town’s premier community gathering and directs readers to the festival website for full details, per Helotes Chamber.
Family programming and logistics
Organizers told KENS5 they expect more than 100,000 visitors across the four days. KENS5 also reports the H-E-B KidZone will feature chicken bingo, a corn-eating contest and pig races, and that parking on the festival grounds is free for attendees.
Tickets and what to know
Tickets are tiered by day: Thursday is $10 for adults and $5 for children, Friday and Saturday are $20 for adults and $10 for children, and Sunday is free, according to the festival's ticket page. Organizers warn that arena seating is first-come, first-served and that buying admission does not guarantee a seat in the rodeo stands; overflow video screens will be used if stands fill up, per Cornyval.org.
If you go, arrive early for arena seating, expect crowds and lock in any VIP or wristband purchases in advance. Cornyval is loud, messy and community-minded - a backyard Texas celebration that funnels money back into Helotes' schools and nonprofit projects each spring.
