Tickets for 87th San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Go on Sale in New Year

SAN ANGELO, TX-- The new year means one thing in San Angelo. It's rodeo time!

Tickets for the 87th San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo go on sale Wednesday, Jan. 2, at 10 a.m. The rodeo is set to start on Feb. 1 and run through Feb. 17. The last rodeo event, the Cinch Chute Out, will take place the night of Feb. 16. Roughly 60,000 spectators are expected to descend on the rodeo, according to San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Association Marketing Director Tom Thompson.

You can also select the seats you want when buying tickets online at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo website.

While Feb. 1 is when the first performance of the rodeo, ancillary events begin on Wednesday, Jan. 23, with the Youth Food Challenge.

With the latest installment of one of the world's longest running rodeo comes some new additions. So, what should you expect at the San Angelo Fairgrounds?

First off is what is expected to be a fan favorite is the wine show and competition. This comes after the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo added a wine tent to the fairgrounds last year.

The wine show will feature some of the best wines from Texas and only Texas. The winning wine will be sold by the bottle at the 2019 VIP Wine Event.

"I feel pretty confident that in a few years that's gonna be one of our biggest social gatherings out there at the stock show and rodeo," SASSRA Executive Director Justin Jonas said.

Next is a change in naming rights to buildings on the fairgrounds. Most buildings will be the same, like the 1st Community Federal Credit Union Spur Arena. However, two buildings have been renamed ahead of the 2019 San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo.

What used to be known as the Wells Fargo Pavilion will now be known as the First Financial Pavilion. Gandy Ink will now be the venue sponsor of the Ag Barn and Sale Pavilion as well.

Other than that, the rodeo will stay the same in essence.

With that in mind, the San Angelo Stock Show will still employ Pete Carr Pro Rodeo to provide the livestock for the rough stock events such as bull riding, bareback and saddle bronc riding. Pete Carr boasts 49 heads of livestock that have competed at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

"Those animals are athletes. We pay for what we get, good or bad," Jonas said. "We have the best fan base that is so knowledgeable of rodeo. They expect those kind of animals to come out. It costs a lot of money each time the gate opens for one of those to buck. But ... it brings out the best in those cowboys. They know when they're going up against a horse of the year or a past horse of the year or a bull that's been to the NFR. They know they have to be at the top of their game to beat it."

The first performance of the 2019 rodeo is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1.