Before the chutes open on the 95th Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the city is getting a three-day warmup of barbecue smoke, horseback trail riders and a parade through downtown streets. Organizers have set the main event for March 2 through March 21, 2027, with a kickoff week running Feb. 25-27 that includes the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, Rodeo Roundup & Go Texan Day, trail rides converging on Memorial Park, and the Rodeo Run ahead of the Downtown Rodeo Parade.
Barbecue Teams Descend on NRG Park
The barbecue contest, running Feb. 25-27, 2027, is expected to draw more than 250 teams from across Texas and beyond, according to rodeohouston.com. Teams will compete for titles across six categories: Brisket, Ribs, Chicken, Go Texan, Dutch Oven Dessert and Open Contest, per the same announcement. A Jr. Cook-off Contest for kids ages 8 to 14 is set for Feb. 26, giving younger pitmasters their own shot at a title. Last year's Bar-B-Que Contest alone pulled in more than 231,000 attendees, as reported by khou.com, giving a sense of the crowds the 2027 contest could draw.
Trail Riders Roll Into Memorial Park
Also on Feb. 26, the Houston General Go Texan Committee will host Rodeo Roundup & Go Texan Day, a free downtown celebration at Hermann Square outside Houston City Hall featuring live music and chances to meet rodeo volunteers, with Western attire encouraged for the occasion, the rodeo's kickoff announcement notes. That same day, horses and wagons from 12 trail rides will wind through Houston-area streets before arriving at Memorial Park to camp one final night, continuing a tradition that dates back to 1952, when four riders first traveled from Brenham, Texas, to spread the word about the rodeo, according to khou.com. That outlet reported that trail riders were marking 75 years with the rodeo, with roughly 2,000 riders saddling up across Texas for the journey.
Run and Parade Close Out the Kickoff
The Rodeo Run, presented by ConocoPhillips, takes place Feb. 27, 2027, opening with a wheelchair race followed by the 10K and 5K, per rodeohouston.com. The course starts at the corner of Walker and Bagby and finishes on Allen Parkway near Eleanor Tinsley Park. Registration for the run opens Nov. 15, 2026, according to 93qcountry.com. The run precedes the Downtown Rodeo Parade, which will send decorative floats, thousands of riders on horseback and marching bands through downtown Houston in celebration of the region's Western heritage.
A Milestone Year Follows a Record 2026
This kickoff sets the stage for the rodeo's 95th anniversary, with the main event running March 2-21, 2027, as Houston Chronicle reported. The 2026 rodeo drew more than 2.6 million attendees overall, and its closing-night concert featuring Cody Johnson packed NRG Stadium with a record 80,203 fans, khou.com reported. In 2026, auctions brought in nearly $40 million, highlighted by a record-shattering $1.5 million Grand Champion steer. Organizers also awarded more than $30 million in educational support that year, the outlet noted. Those figures offer a benchmark for what the 95th edition could bring once the kickoff festivities give way to the full run in March.
