Guided Snake Hunt - Friday Friday, March 11th For those wishing to see the rattlesnake in its natural habitat, we offer guided hunts. It arose as a result of a wide influx of rattlesnakes that were killing livestock and pets of inhabitants of the community. of chicken wings, thrown in our Hot, Mild, or Inferno wing sauce. In Texas, the Sweetwater roundup is intertwined with the towns culture and draws visitors from all over the world. There's even a pageant for local young women, Miss Snake Charmer.The town of 11,000 is expected to swell to around 30,000 during the festival that runs Friday through Sunday, said Dennis Cumbie, one . SWEETWATER, Texas (KCBD) - The 64th Annual Worlds Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11 through 13 at the Nolan County Coliseum, located at 220 Coliseum Drive in Sweetwater. Must be an Everfest PRO member to view contact info. Rounding Up Sweetwater. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. SWEETWATER, Texas (KCBD) - The 64th Annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11 through 13 at the Nolan County Coliseum, located at 220 Coliseum Drive in Sweetwater. Courtesy photo The Sweetwater Jaycee's famed Rattlesnake Roundup is set for March 11-14 at Nolan County Coliseum, where just west of Abilene this weekend, scores of snake wranglers will risk a . Windy with lots of sunshine. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Hunters gather the snakes theres a contest for those capturing the largest ones and theyre brought to the Nolan County Coliseum, where multiple parts of the snakes are harvested, Cumbie said. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com. To register for a guided hunt, you first need to purchase a ticket online, then you need to show up early on the day you purchased a ticket to hunt and sign up with hunter registration located at the back of the coliseum by the weigh-in area. Sweetwater Jaycees Rattlesnake Round Up 2023 Nolan County Colisuem 220 Coliseum Drive, Sweetwater, TX Sat 11 March 11 Downtown Lions Club Car Show Thu 23 March 23 - March 25 Ranger College Rodeo at Nolan County Coliseum Nolan County Colisuem 220 Coliseum Drive, Sweetwater, TX Fri 24 March 24 - March 26 Rattlesnake Gravel Grind (Courtney Sacco/Odessa American via AP, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 79556. Its the biggest event in this town every year, Cumbie said. They also show the huge divide in how they are seen by some, with the Georgia festival heralded by animal advocates and the Texas roundup shamed. Now, as director of the Sweetwater and Nolan county chamber of commerce, Hunt fields calls from people in England, Germany and other parts of the world inquiring about the festival and making plans to visit. FILE -Sweetwater Jaycees clean and skinned rattlesnakes during 57th Sweetwater Jaycees World Largest Rattlesnake Round-up at the Nolan County Coliseum in Sweetwater Texas, March 14, 2015. Plans for the "World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup" this weekend in the Texas town of Sweetwater are full-scale ahead, with snakes set to be skinned and others "milked" of their venom.. The bloodiest part is the skinning pit, where people can try their hand at pulling off the pelts - which are preserved and used as leather. //-->, Copyright FestivalNet 2022. Extra measures included hand sanitizer and regular wiping down of all areas and tour buses. Everybody was nervous about it and didn't know how it would go," Cox said. Begun in 1958 as a means for controlling the rattlesnake population in the area, the roundup has become a major annual driver for the Sweetwater economy. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Go here to update it. Cookerregistration is $80 or $25 ea. Rattlesnake roundups take 2 different approaches, drawing praise and scorn 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The granddaddy of them all, the 82nd Okeene Rattlesnake Roundup will happen April 23-25. The same is true in the south Alabama town of Opp, where an annual rattlesnake festival that has drawn thousands for nearly six decades opens March 25. 2023 www.reporternews.com. We learn how you can have fun at the event even if you want to stay clear of the snakes. We have plenty of outdoor space for more vendors to enjoy the 65th World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup right here in Sweetwater, TX. But there is much more to the story that we need to tell. Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup Where: Nolan County Coliseum, 220 Coliseum Drive Cost: Adults $10. If it's the second weekend in March, that means it's time for the World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater. Rattlesnake roundups take 2 different approaches, drawing praise and scorn. Then came perfect weather for the one-day Georgia show, and there were no complaints whatsoever," he said. SWEETWATER JAYCEES World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup March 10, 11, 12 2023 The 64th Annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11, 12, 13 2022 at The Nolan . The same is true in the south Alabama town of Opp, where an annual rattlesnake festival that has drawn thousands for nearly six decades opens March 25. Yes, were the rattlesnake town, they would say. We also butcher about 1,000 pounds of them each year that we actually cook on the spot., FILE -Sweetwater Jaycees clean and skinned rattlesnakes during 57th Sweetwater Jaycees World Largest Rattlesnake Round-up at the Nolan County Coliseum in Sweetwater Texas, March 14, 2015. var linktext = username + "@" + hostname; Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. The Sweetwater Jaycees visited the Texas State Capitol Building this week to promote public awareness of rattlesnakes in advance of the 63rd World's Largest Rattlesnake Round up. Animal rights activists praised an annual rattlesnake roundup in south Georgia that recently changed the format of this months event to celebrate living snakes without skinning and butchering them. Tornado activity: Sweetwater-area historical tornado activity is near Texas state average.It is 28% greater than the overall U.S. average.. On 4/19/1986, a category F3 (max. NOLAN COUNTY COLISEUM Sweetwater, TX Terry Locklar General Manager - Marketing Director 220 Coliseum Drive. The city's farmers and ranchers rose and banded together to eradicate rattlesnakes. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The 64th Sweetwater Jaycees World's Largest Annual Rattlesnake Roundup is this weekend. High 74F. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a14f7458b5429f1 Gates open at noon Friday and cost is $5 per person/per day. The 64th Annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11, 12, 13 2022 at The Nolan County Coliseum, . In Texas, the Sweetwater roundup is intertwined with the towns culture and draws visitors from all over the world. 70% payback. Its the biggest event in this town every year, Cumbie said. The dunes of the Little Sahara in Little Sahara State Park are the perfect place to ride ATVs. Theres literally no waste, he said. But perhaps most importantly, we will show theres a better way, that it is possible to stop slaughtering snakes without losing their festivals or the income they generate. 64th Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater March 11-13, 5:00-10:00 carnival - $35 all day pass (carnival rides only) or $100 all weekend pass (carnival only), 7:00 PM Miss Snake Charmer Pageant at Municipal Auditorium 201 E 4th Street - adult ticket $10, student ticket $5, Tickets prices: adults $10, active/retired military $5 with valid ID, children 5-12 $5, children 4 and under free, 9:00-6:00 Sweetwater rifle and Pistol Club Gun, Knife, and Coin Show with $5 entry, children 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult, 8:00-5:00 Sweetwater Lions Club Flea Market, 10:00 Guided Snake Hunts - Must sign up prior and must have valid hunting license, 2:00PM - 12:00 AM Carnival - $35 all day pass for rides and tickets $1, 9:00-6:00 Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club Gun, Knife, and Coin Show with $5 entry, children 12 & under free when accompanied by an adult, 10:00AM - 12:00 AM Carnival - $35 all day pass for rides or tickets $1, 8:00 PM Dance at the Jaycee Barn at 307 W 4th Street - $20 per person and cooler charge $5 small $10 large, 4:00 Longest Snake Contest and Most Pounds Entered Awards, 9:00-5:00 Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club Gun, Coin, and Knife Show - $5 entry fee, children 12& under free when accompanied by an adult, 10:00AM-8:00PM Carnival - $35 day pass for carnival rides or tickets $1. | Austin, TX. Rattlesnake Bites: $10 We flash freeze the meat from our Rattlesnake Roundup, season, batter, and deep fry it to a golden brown. Events began at 4:30 p.m. Thursday with the Rattlesnake Parade, which was followed at 7 p.m. by the Miss Snake Charmer Pageant at Sweetwater Municipal Auditorium. They are also the victims of the largest public slaughter of native wildlife in the United States. To register for a guided hunt, you first need to purchase a ticket online, then you need to show up early on the day you purchased a ticket to hunt and sign up with hunter registration located at the back of the coliseum by the weigh-in area. Plans for the Worlds Largest Rattlesnake Roundup this weekend in the Texas town of Sweetwater are full-scale ahead, with snakes set to be skinned and others milked of their venom. $5 Jackpot beans and $10 Jalapeno Poppers. Doors open Friday at 8 a.m., cost is $10 for adults, $5 for active/retired military and $5 for children ages 5-12, with those 4 and under free. They come here every single year.". And teenage girls vied to be crowned Miss Snake Charmer. He's the chairman of the milking pit, where venom is extracted and then used to develop various drugs for a range of illnesses. Over three days, snake hunters bring in their catches (to make $5 a pound). Karen Hunt grew up in Sweetwater, and recalls fellow Texans asking her about her home town. Sweetwater Municipal Auditorium. The move ends Georgia's inhumane rattlesnake roundup legacy. But no such changes are occurring at a huge rattlesnake roundup beginning this weekend in Texas, a festival that the activists say is barbaric. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. There's even a pageant for local young women, Miss Snake Charmer. You The festival has been criticized by animal rights and environmental groups for the way the snakes are rounded up using gasoline fumes to drive them from their dens. A few rattlesnake roundups still persist, the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement full of scorn for the Texas festival, which is notorious for openly killing and skinning western diamondback rattlesnakes by the hundreds in front of crowds.. Check out the schedule of events below: Thursday March 10 Handlers grabbed them safely behind the jaws so children could stroke them up close. Rounding Up Sweetwater started out as a short student film project to capture the worlds largest rattlesnake roundup in Sweetwater, Texas. All rights reserved. Festival-goers were encouraged to wear masks but they were not compulsory and few people actually did. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. Exact attendance figures are unknown because many people such as children are admitted free, but I've heard anywhere from 7,000 to 15,000, said longtime volunteer Jeffrey Cox, who has been helping to organize the Whigham Rattlesnake Roundup for the past four decades. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. I'd love to have that discussion. The same is true in the south Alabama town of Opp, where an annual rattlesnake festival that has drawn thousands for nearly six decades opens on 25 March. Is this your event? What it does for our community is give us a sense of place.. Join Now: Vendors | Artists | Already PRO? Activists hope that change such as those made by the Whigham Rattlesnake Roundup will inspire others to follow in their. Active/retired military, $5 (with valid military ID); Ages 5-12, $5; 4 and under, free.. Sweetwater has held its rattlesnake roundup for more than six decades, "and what we have figured out over 64 years is that we're not damaging the population of the snakes whatsoever," Cumbie. Everybody was nervous about it and didnt know how it would go, Cox added. For more information, please contact. Exact attendance figures are unknown because many people such as children are admitted free, but Ive heard anywhere from 7,000 to 15,000, said longtime volunteer Jeffrey Cox, who has been helping to organize the Whigham Rattlesnake Roundup for the past four decades. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. It's very much part of our culture.". Its very much part of our culture.. We probably had more actual snakes there this year, even though it was a different format than what we've had.. wind speeds 158-206 mph) tornado 1.8 miles away from the Sweetwater city center killed one person and injured 100 people and caused between $5,000,000 and $50,000,000 in damages.. On 5/24/1968, a category F3 tornado 15.9 . Meat judges are needed, so feel free to volunteer. Eugene De Leon Sr. died Saturday night from his injury at Rattlesnake Roundup in Freer. Come join the fun and check it out. Click to reveal 1 seriously injured in rollover on South Loop near Quaker Ave. Emergency crews responding to southwest Lubbock apartment fire, Woman trapped in vehicle after crash on I-27 involving semi, Semi crash on South Loop leaves one person moderately injured, Noon Notebook: LFR to participate in 48-marathon, Noon Notebook: 34th annual Mayors' Beans & Cornbread Luncheon, Tell Me Something Good - Wednesday, March 1. If its the second weekend in March, that means its time for the Worlds Largest Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater. Our feature-length documentary, Rounding Up Sweetwater, will debunk both the pseudo-science used to justify roundups as well as negative . . The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The festival started in 1958 and runs annually during the second weekend of March in the city of Sweetwater in Central Texas. Historically, the first rattlesnake Roundup kicked off in 1958, at Sweetwater, Texas, U.S. Thousands of people, including families with young kids, flocked to take part in festivities this weekend at the Nolan County Coliseum in Sweetwater, Texas. In 2021, the Sweetwater Roundup caught 3,682 pounds of rattlesnakes. Thousands of rattlesnakes are bagged up to be put on display in the snake pits. Sweetwater has some amazing attractions hosted throughout the year! Our feature-length documentary, Rounding Up Sweetwater, will debunk both the pseudo-science used to justify roundups as well as negative stereotypes about rattlesnakes used to demonize them. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. We probably had more actual snakes there this year, even though it was a different format than what weve had.. Last year's roundup was seen as a "last hurrah" before many states including Texas imposed emergency coronavirus measures and large gatherings were banned. Ronald Erdrich is the photojournalist and a columnist for the Abilene Reporter-News. marketplace | privacypolicy | contactus, Sweetwater Jaycees World's Largest Rattlesnake Round Up, Thu 4:30pm9pm, Fri 8am5pm, Sat 8am6pm, Sun 8am5pm, 1699 Cypress Street, Sweetwater, TX 79556. This does put us on the map, she said. For Sweetwater, the festival brings in a reported $8.3 million for the town. We also butcher about 1,000 pounds of them each year that we actually cook on the spot.". Gates open at noon Friday and cost is $5 per person/per day. In Texas, the Sweetwater roundup is intertwined with the town's culture and draws visitors from all over the world. You It began 64 years ago to keep snakes from overtaking the town and attacking livestock, pets and people, organizers say. Then came perfect weather for the one-day Georgia show, and there were no complaints whatsoever, he said. Free patch & pin with pre-registration by 4-04-2020. There will be live music on Fri. and Sat. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. FREER, Texas - The largest festival of the year in one South Texas city took a deadly turn after a . With two historical museums, the famous rattlesnake roundup, and much more, Sweetwater has fun attractions that will keep you busy! Get In Touch. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The 63rd World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup - which also sees the crowning of a Miss Snake Charmer beauty queen - went ahead after the state lifted virtually all Covid restrictions last week. In Texas, the Sweetwater roundup is intertwined with the towns culture and draws visitors from all over the world. 2012 letter of praise for switching the Claxton Rattlesnake Roundup to a . Publication of festival information does not imply endorsement by or affiliation with Everfest. Rattlesnakes are symbols of freedom and independence; teaching that snakes are scary and useless minimizes their significance in our cultural and ecological heritage.. Sweetwater has held its rattlesnake roundup for more than six decades, and what we have figured out over 64 years is that were not damaging the population of the snakes whatsoever, Cumbie said. Theres even a pageant for local young women, Miss Snake Charmer. A few rattlesnake roundups still persist, the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement full of scorn for the Texas festival, which is notorious for openly killing and skinning western diamondback rattlesnakes by the hundreds in front of crowds.. Each spring, the small city of Sweetwater, Texas, hosts what it bills as the world's largest rattlesnake roundup. In Georgia, organizers say the more humane format they launched for the first time last weekend was a success. The Sweetwater Rifle & Pistol Club Gun, Knife and Coin Show Adults: $5 Up to age 12: Free with. Nolan County Coliseum1699 Cypress St Sweetwater, TX, 2023 Copyright Everfest, Inc. All rights reserved. Sweetwater, TX (79556) Today. Sweetwater has held its rattlesnake roundup for more than six decades, and what we have figured out over 64 years is that were not damaging the population of the snakes whatsoever, Cumbie said. Karen Hunt grew up in Sweetwater, and recalls fellow Texans asking her about her hometown. SWEETWATER, TEXAS RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUP - YouTube 0:00 / 8:15 SWEETWATER, TEXAS RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUP 37,579 views Apr 10, 2018 330 Dislike Share Save Mark Lotterhand 2.13K subscribers Unchecked. Thousands of people,. In Georgia, organizers say the more humane format they launched for the first time last weekend was a success. Texas rattlesnake butchering festival continues despite objections A Georgia rattler roundup no longer kills the animals but Texas town of Sweetwater is proud of its tradition A. Sweetwater, Texas 79556 325-235-3484 - Office nolancountycoliseum@gmail.com Sweetwater has held its rattlesnake roundup for more than six decades, and what we have figured out over 64 years is that we're not damaging the population of the snakes whatsoever, Cumbie said. While organizers say the snake hunters who bring in big rattlers get rid of nuisance reptiles, opponents say Eastern diamondback snakes are declining in population. The important thing for organizers is that the historic festival was able to go ahead. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph.. . It began 64 years ago to keep snakes from overtaking the town and attacking .