It began 64 years ago to keep snakes from overtaking the town and attacking livestock, pets and people, organizers say. The hungriest competitors went head to head in the eating contest. 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. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. The two events are a marked contrast in how rattlesnakes are handled. 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. The dunes of the Little Sahara in Little Sahara State Park are the perfect place to ride ATVs. SWEETWATER JAYCEES World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup March 10, 11, 12 2023 For more information, please contact. Mar 7, 2022 / . 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. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Sweetwater Municipal Auditorium. Wing Dings: $8 1 lb. Dates: March 10th - 12th, 2023. FestivalNet is not the event & does not book the participants; we provide contact info to save you time in event research. 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. This event runs alongside the Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club's gun and coin show, founded in the 1940s. Hunters gather the snakes there's a contest for those capturing the largest ones and they're brought to the Nolan County Coliseum, where multiple parts of the snakes are harvested, Cumbie said. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup Where: Nolan County Coliseum, 220 Coliseum Drive Cost: Adults $10. Oklahoma. Must be an Everfest PRO member to view contact info. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. 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. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. Every March, what's billed as the World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup brings an estimated 25,000 visitors to Sweetwater,. And in Sweetwater, Texas: cancel the rattlesnake festival? Back row Left to right: Del Riley, Blake Stephens, David Sager, Miss Texas, Mallory Fuller, Chris Thomas, Dee Thomas, Cody Cox. 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.. Rounding Up Sweetwater. WOODSTOCK, Ga. An annual rattlesnake roundup in south Georgia recently changed the format of this months event to celebrate living snakes without skinning and butchering them, earning plaudits from animal rights activists. Gates open at noon Friday and cost is $5 per person/per day. We probably had more actual snakes there this year, even though it was a different format than what weve had.. Each spring, the small city of Sweetwater, Texas, hosts what it bills as the world's largest rattlesnake roundup. 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. Windy with partly cloudy skies. They come here every single year.". Texas Governor Greg Abbott lifted a mandate requiring face masks and limits on bars and restaurants from March 10, just in time for the 2021 roundup. 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. He told the Abilene Reporter-News: "We welcome that. Everybody was nervous about it and didnt know how it would go, Cox said. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Join Now: Vendors | Artists | Already PRO? If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. 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.. 79556. In 2022 the Whigham Community Club announced that it will no longer capture snakes and will instead feature displays and educational programming about the diamondback rattlesnake and other native wildlife. (Courtney Sacco/Odessa American via AP, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Rattlesnakes are fascinating, beautiful, but often feared and misunderstood creatures. Children watched in awe as handlers tipped buckets of venomous snakes into a writhing pit. 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. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com. Sweetwater Jaycees Rattle Staid State Capitol with Snakes Miss Snake Charmer 2023 Contestants Attend Pageant Tea Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, SEED, City of Sweetwater, NFC Partner to Bring Free Fitness Court to Newman Park SISD Transfers SHS Interim Principalship to Kathy Smartt Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph.. . Apache's will follow on April 15-18. 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. The snakes skins will eventually show up on cowboy boots, belts and other western wear. The 64th Annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11, 12, 13 2022 at The Nolan . 1 seriously injured in rollover on South Loop near Quaker Ave. Ronald Erdrich is the photojournalist and a columnist for the Abilene Reporter-News. If it's the second weekend in March, that means it's time for the World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater. Restrooms and free warm showers are available. Camping is by reservations only. We will be donating the first month of each new vendor & artist subscription to the Austin Justice Coalition. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Sweetwater Rattlesnake RoundUp March 10 - 12, 2023 Nolan County Coliseum Sweetwater, TX 79556 Status: Updated 12/5/2022 Sweetwater Jaycees World's Largest Rattlesnake Round Up Admission: none Days/Hours Open: Thu 4:30pm9pm, Fri 8am5pm, Sat 8am6pm, Sun 8am5pm Address: 1699 Cypress Street, Sweetwater, TX 79556 Entertainment: 1 stage - Local. All rights reserved. 2022, at the Rattlesnake Roundup Grounds in Whigham. 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 action you just performed triggered the security solution. 2012 letter of praise for switching the Claxton Rattlesnake Roundup to a . Guided Snake Hunt - Saturday Saturday, March 12th For those wishing to see the rattlesnake in its natural habitat, we offer guided hunts. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The 21st Annual Jaycee Roosters Motorcycle Rally and Cook-off and Swap Meet will be held atSweetwater Lake Park in Sweetwater, Texas from April 15, 2022 to April 17, 2022. The 64th Annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11, 12, 13 2022 at The Nolan County Coliseum, . Gates open at noon Friday and cost is $5 per person/per day. 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. Yes, were the rattlesnake town, they would say. Publication of festival information does not imply endorsement by or affiliation with Everfest. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a14f7458b5429f1 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. We have plenty of outdoor space for more vendors to enjoy the 65th World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup right here in Sweetwater, TX. . Low 43F. Front Row L to R: Sylvia Martinez of Snyder HS, Jasimen Courtney of Snyder HS Miss Snake Charmer 2022 Macy Newberry of Sweetwater HS, . In addition to Okeene, four other western Oklahoma towns will revive their rattlesnake hunts and festivals this month after being canceled last year. Nolan County Coliseum1699 Cypress St Sweetwater, TX, 2023 Copyright Everfest, Inc. All rights reserved. What is advertised as the "World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup" draws about 25,000 visitors annually to the town of Sweetwater, a community in Texas made up of a little over 10,000 people. Active/retired military, $5 (with valid military ID); Ages 5-12, $5; 4 and under, free.. Cumbie is the chairman of the milking pit, where venom is extracted and then used to develop various drugs for a range of illnesses. "We have a family that comes from Australia. 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. Visitors and news crews from around the nation and the globe frequently are seen perusing the snake pits at Nolan County Coliseum. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Full hindquarter, seasoned and grilled. . Theres even a pageant for local young women, Miss Snake Charmer. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. Performance & security by Cloudflare. This does put us on the map, she said. All rights reserved. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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. Served with ranch or blue cheese and celery. Around two and a half tons of western diamondback rattlesnakes are rounded up each year for the festival, which was founded in 1958 as a way to control the population. Rattles are used for souvenirs, as are the heads, Cumbie 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. I'd love to have that discussion. Over three days, snake hunters bring in their catches (to make $5 a pound). "That's my favorite part because they've got such neat stories to tell," McCann said. We learn how you can have fun at the event even if you want to stay clear of the snakes. This is the start of their holiday weekend. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. A mix of light freezing rain and sleet this morning.then cloudy late. 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. But there is much more to the story that we need to tell. In Georgia, organizers say the more humane format they launched for the first time last weekend was a success. Rattles are used for souvenirs, as are the heads, Cumbie said. Sweetwater, TX (79556) Today. Sweetwater, Texas 79556 325-235-3484 - Office nolancountycoliseum@gmail.com You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. 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 People of the small town of Claxton, Georgia transformed their rattlesnake roundup into the Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival, a festival where they promote conservation and education instead of fear and misconceptions. 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. What it does for our community is give us a sense of place.. All Rights Reserved. Rattlesnakes are symbols of freedom and independence; teaching that snakes are scary and useless minimizes their significance in our cultural and ecological heritage.. This is a major attraction that people from all over the world come to for the 2nd full weekend in March every year. Cookerregistration is $80 or $25 ea. var linktext = username + "@" + hostname; Waurika and Waynoka will hold their rattlesnake festivals next weekend. Thousands of people, including families with young kids, flocked to take part in festivities this weekend at the Nolan County Coliseum in Sweetwater, Texas. The 21st Annual Jaycee Roosters Motorcycle Rally and Cook-off and Swap Meet will be held at Sweetwater Lake Park in Sweetwater, Texas from April 15, 2022 to April 17, 2022. 2023 www.reporternews.com. A Georgia rattler roundup no longer kills the animals but Texas town of Sweetwater is proud of its tradition. Sweetwater, TX (79556) Today. The move ends Georgia's inhumane rattlesnake roundup legacy. 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. We want everybody to come and see us and see what we're doing.". In Texas, the Sweetwater roundup is intertwined with the towns culture and draws visitors from all over the world. Sweetwater, TX (79556) Today. Thousands of people,. The winner of the contest receives a scholarship from the Sweetwater Jaycees and represents Sweetwater at various social events within the Big Country. Everybody was nervous about it and didn't know how it would go," Cox said. 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. 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. of chicken wings, thrown in our Hot, Mild, or Inferno wing sauce. 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. In 2021, the Sweetwater Roundup caught 3,682 pounds of rattlesnakes. 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. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. High 74F. Visitors from Europe, New Zealand and Japan have been regulars at the show in past years, alongside locals in ten-gallon hats. The diamond rattlesnake managed to secure a festival of its own in Sweetwater, Texas, and people absolutely love it. Join Festivalnet.com now to unlock additional details,