Under the bright lights of the Brazos County Expo, the smell of funnel cake and hay mingled with the sound of joyful children and cheering crowds as families gathered to watch the rodeo and line up for fair rides. October 17 marked the kickoff of the Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo, an area tradition marking its 14th year.
The fair brought new attractions like the Dinosaur Takeover along with classic favorites such as the carnival, expo with merchant booths, Ag-land area and rodeo events.
As described on its website, the Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo showcases agriculture, education and youth events to enhance Texas culture. Beyond providing entertainment for the community, excess revenue funds scholarships to Brazos County youth and related community improvements.
This year, it sold merchandise for the first time, with proceeds benefiting scholarships and event funding. Since its first event in 2012, the fair has awarded over $100,750 in scholarships to qualified youth.
At the fair, attendees were able to enjoy the carnival food and rides as well as agricultural exhibitions. Ag-land featured a petting zoo and an opportunity to watch nearly 100 incubated chicks hatch later that evening. Rodeo events included bull riding, calf roping, barrel racing and, of course, mutton bustin’. A new addition to the carnival was the “Dinosaur Takeover,” featuring a 20-foot animatronic dinosaur and a fossil-digging activity for kids.
Melissa Adams, co-owner and marketing director of Big Top Entertainment — an event promotions company that connects brands with Texans — said the company aims to promote the idea of shopping at local and Texas-owned businesses. The entertainment company partnered with Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo for the first time this year, helping bring in over 70 new vendors and exhibitions to the community event.
“People stop and are shopping, and the exhibitors are very excited, and a lot of them are here for the first time,” Adams said. “Everyone has been great to work with at the rodeo.”
Sam Roman returned for a third year as a fair vendor with his Western wear company, SB Cowboy, which he founded in 2019.
Compared to a large-scale city event, Roman said the family-oriented aspect of the rodeo and the people who show up to support their local community make this event special. His company sells cowboy hats — which he custom shapes for customers — trucker and rope hats and Western wear.
“I really like people that come to fairs and rodeos,” Roman said. “You get a really good crowd. So it’s really nice to see friendly people and get your business’ name out there, especially when I get to sell someone their first cowboy hat.”
Kelly Barrett ‘11 attended the rodeo for the first time this year, making her son James’ dream to compete in mutton bustin’ come true before he aged out of the event. The College Station local said her family was inspired to come to the Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo after a trip to the Houston Rodeo last year.
“We’re just looking forward to letting the kids run around and have fun and see what’s going on in the community,” Barrett said. “The rodeo is just so family-friendly, and there are events for everyone.”
For Bryan resident Sophia Moody, the Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo is something her family looks forward to every year. Moody brought her two children to the rodeo for the first time eight years ago, and it has been an annual family tradition since. From fair rides for the kids to the evening rodeo, everything the Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo offers makes it a fun tradition for their family. For Moody, the best part of the day was watching the bull riding.
“We just love everything about the rodeo,” Moody said. “The animals, the bull riding and the fair rides, which the kids love. It’s just a fun time.”
Other selling points for Moody are the community involvement and the easy way it brings families and kids together. She attended the rodeo and fair alongside her son’s soccer team and brought her neighbor’s kids with them.
“It’s just a really fun time for family and kids,” Moody said. “We look forward to it every year. We live close, so we get to watch the fair and rodeo get set up, and it’s exciting.”
The opening night of the rodeo and fair weekend concluded with a performance by Del Rio native William Beckmann. Production manager Linda Brown of Linda Brown & Associate said they aim to bring in performers that reflect the spirit of the community.
“We try to provide music entertainment — because music is a universal language — and find artists that appeal to all different ages and different cultures,” Brown said.
The schedule for the remaining rodeo and show dates can be found on its official website.
