Arts & Entertainment
 

Rodeo offers more than just bull

Bar-B-Que Contest cooks up before main events, carnival; new wine competition adds excitement

by Lindsey Bowers
The Daily Cougar

If you're baffled by the fact that pop-rock yuppie John Mayer was chosen to open the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo or annoyed that Bow Wow and the You Got Served dancers are representing Black Heritage Day, don't cross out this year's rodeo activities all together.

As the largest livestock exposition and rodeo competition in the world, RodeoHouston truly is a monumental event. Reliant Park is sure to be swarmed with scores of guests from Tuesday to March 21, and the arguably unsuitable booking of some musical entertainers shouldn't hold anyone back from enjoying the festivities.

One of the biggest attractions goes down even before the rodeo officially begins. Beginning Thursday, the "World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest" takes over the stadium parking lot for three days of cooking and competition. 

All of the 356 teams slated to arrive will contend for prizes in the champion brisket, chicken and pork spare ribs categories. 

Besides all that award-winning barbecue, the cook-off weekend includes carnival rides and free live entertainment. 

Nearly 150,000 people visited the feast in 2003, and for a $6 ticket -- that is actually redeemable for a free chopped beef sandwich plate on the day of the event -- attendance should be just as high again this year.

Although the cook-off ends Saturday, the carnival gates stay open throughout the rodeo. More than 60 rides are featured, including roller coasters, bumper cars and the world's largest transportable Ferris wheel. 

The carnival stays open late (until midnight or 1 a.m. on most nights) and also has an area for children with special rides and games where kids always win.

For those who prefer wine and cheese to sloppy pork ribs, a special culinary contest and wine tasting called "Rodeo Uncorked!" takes place back inside Reliant Center. This is the inaugural year for the International Wine Competition at RodeoHouston, and the affair hosts more than 200 wineries from Texas and around the world. 

Admission is $70 in advance and $100 at the door, but local fine-dining restaurants like Quattro and Americas will bring their best dishes for sampling ... and you'll also get to try as many of the 870 showcased wines that your heart desires. Plus, many wineries are creating special blends from their vineyards just for the competition that will not be sold commercially.

On March 5 and 14, RodeoHouston will promote Black Heritage Day and Go Tejano Day. Both celebrate the heritage, pioneers and cultural achievements of these ethnic groups. 

Festivities on March 14, include a mariachi contest and "Fiesta Charra" -- a presentation of Mexican folk dance and music.

RodeoHouston is undoubtedly a party that goes beyond barrel racing and fourth-grade art projects. 

The rodeo has something for everyone -- even for those whose tastes aren't exactly appeased by sappy alternative rock or getting "served" by hyperactive break-dancers.

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