San Angelo Rodeo Honored as Texas's “Best Large Rodeo”

WACO, TX — Heart O' Texas Fair & Rodeo Committee recognized the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Association for organizing the “Best Large Rodeo” on the Texas circuit Thursday night.

San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Association Director Justin Jonas was in Waco at the seventh performance of Waco’s One Hot Rodeo to receive the honor. The Waco rodeo series spans nine performances over two weeks. The “Best Rodeo” awards are part of the Waco rodeo committee’s objective to recognize other committees around the state for excellence.

The Waco rodeo is similar in format to the San Angelo rodeo and happens during the Heart ‘O Texas fair that incorporates a carnival fairgrounds with amusement rides. The live music events, held on the “Bud Light Stage,” feature performers like Gary Alan, Aaron Watson, and Clay Walker this year.

Waco’s rodeo is held inside the Extraco Events Center. Originally the McLennan County Coliseum, Extraco Bank signed a longterm naming rights deal for the entire fairgrounds where the coliseum is situated. In 2022, the fair and rodeo celebrated its 70th year.

Although the Extraco Events Center was built using a $1.2 million county bond in 1953, the facility has enjoyed a recent renovation using a $31.5 million county bond in 2018. As an example of the improvements of the renovation, adjacent to the announcer’s booth is a VIP club complete with restaurant with bar and a gathering deck overlooking the arena. On the backside, another VIP deck faces the midway and music stage on the fairway.

The rodeo committee estimates that the Extraco facilities contribute $40 million to the Waco area economy by hosting the fair and rodeo along with 225 other events year-round. The Waco committee estimates the fairgrounds saw 420,000 people last year at wide variety of events.

An effort to renovate the San Angelo Coliseum is in the works at a cost of around $35 million. The original price tag was estimated a year ago to be around $24 million. Inflation in the commercial building trades is the primary cause of the $10 million increase. The San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Association and county officials are working on a financing plan that will likely involve a ballot initiative countywide similar to McLennan County’s 2018 bond election. Meanwhile, the the use of the City of San Angelo Development Corporation’s half-cent sales tax revenue has so far been off the table. The half-cent sales tax was approved by voters over a decade ago under the administration of Mayor Alvin New to finance primarily water development projects.