When rodeo season comes around in Texas, you know it’s time to pull out the big hats, belts, and boots and join the crowds as they head to one of the biggest events of the year. For centuries, the rodeo has been a place where Texans have enjoyed the blend of cultures, showing the world that when the dust settles, rodeo has always had Tex-Mex roots.
From tejanas bedazzled with rhinestones, elote stands between brisket booths, and charros tossing their sombreros into the dance pit when the intermittent cumbia hits, Mexicans have been adding their spice to Texan culture all along.
Here are five Tex-Mex traditions making rodeo season shine.
1. Charros: The Original Vaqueros
Before the cowboy became a symbol of the American West, charros were already dazzling crowds with their riding and roping skills. Brought to the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, the art of charreria is a unique Tex-Mex tradition rooted in the Southwest. More than just herding cattle, charros are experts at roping cattle while riding on horseback. The event is a pinnacle of the rodeo, bringing together equestrian activities with music, and of course, a fashionable charro outfit.
Don’t be surprised if you show up at the rodeo to find attendees wearing their own churro suits and whole families cheering on the cowboys.
2. Escaramuza
The rodeo isn’t just a place for men; Escaramuza is a female-only equestrian event in which a team rides horses with choreographed precision to music. Women ride side saddle in elaborate outfits, often featuring sombreros, dresses, and other accessories.
3. Tacos, aguas frescas, elotes, and other delicious rodeo staples
This ain’t Texas without delicious Tex-Mex food, and the rodeo is where you can find some of the best. Elotes, mesquite, and sizzling fajitas blend perfectly with traditional rodeo staples like BBQ and funnel cakes. Vendors bring the Tex-Mex heat with trompo tacos, aguas frescas, and even spicy chamoy snow cones for the brave. And with all that flavor (and fuego), you’ll want something refreshing to cool it down—like an ice-cold Ozarka Water, straight from Texas springs.
4. Banda and Baile
What’s a good rodeo without a dance afterward? Whether it’s Tejano, norteño, banda, or cumbia, there’s always music nearby and a makeshift dance floor under the stars in Tex-Mex style. Couples join together in matching pearl-snap shirts, cowboy boots, and coolers stacked with bottles of their favorite drinks and Ozarka Texas Spring Water to keep them going all night long if necessary. Another way in which Tex-Mex music seeps into the rodeo is through mariachis. At many events, mariachis will sweep in between performances and cheer the crowds with their music.
5. “Go Tejano Day”
To celebrate the influence of Hispanic and Latino culture, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo honors “Go Tejano Day.” The event highlights the richness of Tex-Mex culture while also focusing on missions such as educational funding. This new tradition is another way in which Texans celebrate the color and richness of Tex-Mex.
From charreada skills that predate the Alamo to snack stands serving the best Tex-Mex food, Latino communities have infused Texas rodeo, transforming it into a multicultural celebration that all can participate in.
So, this year, dust off your boots, head to the arena, and raise a bottle of Ozarka Texas Spring Water to the cowboys, charros, vendors, and abuelitas making rodeo season an event one must attend.
