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August 23, 2019

Bandera Round-Up begins Labor Day Weekend

Contributed to the Prophet

This Labor Day Weekend, pull on your boots, dust off your hat, gather your family and friends, and hit the trail to Bandera, centrally located in the Texas Hill Country just 30 minutes from San Antonio, for Bandera Round-Up, a spirited three-day celebration of the town’s storied cowboy heritage. Festivities are set for Friday, Aug. 30 through Sunday, Sept. 1.
From a thundering downtown parade led by longhorn cattle to thrilling outdoor ranch rodeos to a cowboy market and live music on the courthouse square, Bandera Round-up serves up the best in food, fun and adventure. Today’s family-friendly weekend welcomes folks of all ages to relive the days of cowboy shoot-outs, rodeos and cattle drives.
Highlights of this year’s Bandera Round-Up include:

Friday, August 30
    6:30 - 9 p.m.: Western Artists Round-Up Exhibit Opening and Reception at the Frontier Times Museum, 510 13th Street

Saturday, August 31
    11 a.m.: Longhorn Cattle Drive and Big Cowboy Capital Parade on Main Street      
    9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Doc Nagel’s Courthouse Arts & Crafts Market with Live Music, Bandera County Courthouse (repeats on Sunday)
    Noon to 4 p.m.: Western Artist Round-Up Demonstrations Cool-off at the Frontier Times Museum and watch western artists paint live.
    7 p.m.: Frontier Times Ranch Rodeo at Mansfield Park Arena (ticketed event)

Sunday, September 1
    6 p.m.: Bandera ProRodeo All Women’s Ranch Rodeo & Kids’ Mutton Busting at Mansfield Arena. Kids’ Mutton Busting sign-up at 6 p.m. with competition at 6:30 p.m. Women’s Rodeo at 8 p.m. (ticketed event)

About Bandera Round-Up Events
Western Artist Round-Up Exhibit Opening and Reception
Bandera’s Frontier Times Museum will host outstanding works by western artists dedicated to preserving the customs of frontier settlers who settled the west, living in dugouts, teepees, and under the open sky through droughts, floods, searing heat and freezing weather. By staying true to authentic historic detail, these paintings tell the stories of hardy souls who shaped the American West as we know it. Friday at 6:30 p.m. to 9 pm at 510 13th Street.  Free admission. The artists will be back at the museum at noon on Saturday to give live painting demonstrations till 4 p.m.

Longhorn Cattle Drive and Big Cowboy Capital Parade
The Bandera County Chamber of Commerce begins the official festivities on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. with the traditional Cowboy Capital of the World Parade down Main Street, led by a herd of Texas Longhorn cattle. Cowboys and Cowgirls on horseback, covered wagons, colorful floats and the rousing Bandera High School Marching Band are all part of this thrilling salute to Bandera’s cherished western heritage. Come early as we recreate the Running of the Bulls with costumed bulls running “wild” along Main Street. Free admission.

Doc Nagel’s Courthouse Arts & Crafts Market with Live Music
Stroll the historic Bandera Courthouse Square grounds from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday to see live gunfighter shows, enjoy outstanding live musical artists and storytellers, and shop many western-themed vendor booths for cowboy gear and much more. Take a break from the Texas sun at Doc Nagel’s Cooling Station in the center of the action, presented by Bandera’s Arthur Nagel Community Clinic. Free admission.

Frontier Times Ranch Rodeo
On Saturday night, the exciting Frontier Times Ranch Rodeo will be the first of two big rodeos during the Round-Up. Held at Mansfield Park Arena, just north of downtown, gates open at 6 p.m. and the Grand Entry is at 7 p.m. Cheer on real working cowboys as ranches from across south Texas send their cowboy teams to compete in events that are designed to test the cowboys’ skills in the work they do every day. The Frontier Times Ranch Rodeo includes a colorful patriotic grand entry, calf scramble, wild cow milking, and bronco busting! The Junior Rangers of the Hill Country State Natural Areas will ride into the arena both for the Grand Entry and for a thrilling half-time show in which these young riders will ride in precise formation. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 6 through 12 and are available at the gate or in advance at Frontier Times Museum at 510 13th Street in Bandera.

Bandera ProRodeo All Women’s Ranch Rodeo & Kids’ Mutton Busting
The grand finale of the Bandera Round-Up weekend of activities is the sensational Women’s Ranch Rodeo and Kid’s Mutton Busting, presented by the Bandera ProRodeo Association, also at Mansfield Park Arena. Gates open at 6 p.m. Sign up for Mutton Busting starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m.; Mutton Busting event starts at 6:30 and sign up will continue as the mutton bustin’ event is underway. The Women’s Ranch Rodeo begins at 8:00 p.m. and will feature Rescue Race, Pony Express, Cowhide Race, Muggin’ (Steer Roping) and Steer Branding. Mutton Busting fee is $30, including one free adult admission. Admission is $10 for adults 13 years of age and up; children 12 and under are free. For online ticket sales go to www.banderaprorodeo.org.

For more information, visit BanderaRoundUp.com or on Facebook to see a video highlighting all the major events of the weekend, produced by the Bandera CVB’s James Hernandez. (View official Round-Up video at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7lHremCzgI)  The video showcases images of the Longhorn Cattle Drive down Main Street, Native American Dancers, the Bandera Cattle Company gunfighters, and much more.
Share your Round-Up memories with us using #BanderaRoundUp and #BanderaCowboyCapital.