FREER, Texas - The largest festival of the year in one South Texas city took a deadly turn after a . var hostname = "FestivalNet.com"; Rounding Up Sweetwater. Make sure to contact Nancy High at (325) 236-5460 if you are . Rattles are used for souvenirs, as are the heads, Cumbie said. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. Snake hunts are offered throughout the day at nearby locales, and audience members will alsohavethe chance to skin a rattlesnakeas well asdine on the reptile's deep-fried meat. Everybody was nervous about it and didnt know how it would go, Cox added. Children watched in awe as handlers tipped buckets of venomous snakes into a writhing pit. All rights reserved. TX After seeing firsthand what goes on in Sweetwater every year, we know there is a better way. Thousands of people, including families with young kids, flocked to take part in festivities this weekend at the Nolan County Coliseum in Sweetwater, Texas. Karen Hunt grew up in Sweetwater, and recalls fellow Texans asking her about her hometown. Served with ranch or blue cheese and celery. The festival started in 1958 and runs annually during the second weekend of March in the city of Sweetwater in Central Texas. Rattlesnake roundups take 2 different approaches, drawing praise and scorn 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 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. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. All rights reserved. Your IP: Cumbie is the chairman of the milking pit, where venom is extracted and then used to develop various drugs for a range of illnesses. 1 seriously injured in rollover on South Loop near Quaker Ave. 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.. Sweetwater, TX (79556) Today. Everfest stands in solidarity with the Black community and supports the fight for justice and equality. World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-up in Sweetwater, Texas - YouTube 0:00 / 16:54 World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-up in Sweetwater, Texas 14,062 views Mar 18, 2021 161 Dislike. In addition to Okeene, four other western Oklahoma towns will revive their rattlesnake hunts and festivals this month after being canceled last year. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. This is the start of their holiday weekend. 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. In 2021, the Sweetwater Roundup caught 3,682 pounds of rattlesnakes. Eugene De Leon Sr. died Saturday night from his injury at Rattlesnake Roundup in Freer. . In Texas, the Sweetwater roundup is intertwined with the town's culture and draws visitors from all over the world. Rattlesnake roundups take two paths, drawing praise and scorn by The Associated Press | March 12, 2022 at 10:00 p.m. FILE -Sweetwater Jaycees clean and skinned rattlesnakes during 57th. The event is a fundraiser for local youth programs. Back row Left to right: Del Riley, Blake Stephens, David Sager, Miss Texas, Mallory Fuller, Chris Thomas, Dee Thomas, Cody Cox. Waurika and Waynoka will hold their rattlesnake festivals next weekend. Mar 7, 2022 / . The diamond rattlesnake managed to secure a festival of its own in Sweetwater, Texas, and people absolutely love it. And in Sweetwater, Texas: cancel the rattlesnake festival? Its very much part of our culture.. In Texas, the Sweetwater roundup is intertwined with the towns culture and draws visitors from all over the world. (Brisket, Pork Spare Ribs, Chicken, Chili). But no such changes are occurring at a huge rattlesnake roundup beginning this weekend in Texas, a festival that the activists say is barbaric. SWEETWATER JAYCEES World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup March 10, 11, 12 2023 You They are also the victims of the largest public slaughter of native wildlife in the United States. This is a major attraction that people from all over the world come to for the 2nd full weekend in March every year. 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. FNdocumentWrite("") . Rattles are used for souvenirs, as are the heads, Cumbie said. 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. Go here to update it. 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 The snakes' skins will eventually show up on cowboy boots, belts and other western wear. The move ends Georgia's inhumane rattlesnake roundup legacy. We learn how you can have fun at the event even if you want to stay clear of the snakes. Nolan County Coliseum1699 Cypress St Sweetwater, TX, 2023 Copyright Everfest, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Sweetwater Jaycees Announce Rattlesnake Roundup Media Day; Ridin . Our feature-length documentary, Rounding Up Sweetwater, will debunk both the pseudo-science used to justify roundups as well as negative . 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 of the organizers. And teenage girls vied to be crowned Miss Snake Charmer. We also butcher about 1,000 pounds of them each year that we actually cook on the spot.". The two events are a marked contrast in how rattlesnakes are handled. Rattlesnakes are fascinating, beautiful, but often feared and misunderstood creatures. 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. Gates open at noon Friday and cost is $5 per person/per day. Visitors and news crews from around the nation and the globe frequently are seen perusing the snake pits at Nolan County Coliseum. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. They are also the victims of the largest public slaughter of native wildlife in the United States. Service to humanity, is the best work of life. Team Calcutta-50% payback. Adults: $5. 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 Then came perfect weather for the one-day Georgia show, and there were no complaints whatsoever, he said. Historically, the first rattlesnake Roundup kicked off in 1958, at Sweetwater, Texas, U.S. By accessing our site, you agree to the terms of Everfest's privacy policy. A mix of light freezing rain and sleet this morning.then cloudy late. 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. 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. Must be an Everfest PRO member to view contact info. 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. Rounding Up Sweetwater started out as a short student film project to capture the worlds largest rattlesnake roundup in Sweetwater, Texas. Yes, were the rattlesnake town, they would say. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a14f7458b5429f1 This does put us on the map, she said. 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. The Sweetwater Jaycees society, which runs the festival, said they were thrilled it could go ahead after a year of uncertainty. 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. The 64th Annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11, 12, 13 2022 at The Nolan County Coliseum, . 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. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. This year, however, so many snakes were rounded up that there's hardly a market for selling. It arose as a result of a wide influx of rattlesnakes that were killing livestock and pets of inhabitants of the community. Festival-goers were encouraged to wear masks but they were not compulsory and few people actually did. Admission: none Days/Hours Open: All Days 8am6pm Address: 110 E. 15th Street, Sweetwater, TX 79556 Other Activities: sweetwater lions club car show, sweetwater rattlesnake roundup Attendance: 9,000 # Food Booths: 20 # of Exhibitors: 235 Juried: no Prize Money: na Deadlines: Art & Craft: 03/01/2023 Music: na Food: 03/01/2023 (Courtney Sacco/Odessa American via AP, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Addie Gedea; Mar 12, 2022 Mar 12, 2022 Updated Mar 12, 2022; Comments; . //-->, Copyright FestivalNet 2022. 2023 www.reporternews.com. What it does for our community is give us a sense of place.. We will be donating the first month of each new vendor & artist subscription to the Austin Justice Coalition. 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. Nolan County Coliseum 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. This does put us on the map, she said. It began 64 years ago to keep snakes from overtaking the town and attacking livestock, pets and people, organizers say. Theres no waste, he said. 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. We encourage you to join us and consider supporting the Austin Justice Coalition or the organization leading the ongoing movement for accountability and change in your community. WOODSTOCK, Ga. (AP) 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. 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. Dates: March 10th - 12th, 2023. 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. The 64th Sweetwater Jaycees World's Largest Annual Rattlesnake Roundup is this weekend. Front Row L to R: Sylvia Martinez of Snyder HS, Jasimen Courtney of Snyder HS Miss Snake Charmer 2022 Macy Newberry of Sweetwater HS, . Thousands of rattlesnakes are bagged up to be put on display in the snake pits. Thursday March 11, 2021 4:30 pm Rattlesnake Parade5:00 pm-10:00 pm CarnivalAll day pass - $30.00 (all you can ride) Carnival onlyWeekend pass $60.00 (sold only on Thursday) Carnival onlyTicke It's very much part of our culture.". The following is the full schedule for the 2022 Rattlesnake Roundup: Thursday March 10, 2022: 4:30 pm Rattlesnake Parade 5:00 pm-10:00 pm Carnival All day pass - $35.00 (all you can ride) Carnival only Weekend pass $100.00 (sold only on Thursday) Carnival only Tickets - $1.00 each 7:00 pm Miss Snake Charmer Pageant Adults - $10.00 Students - $5.00 This website uses cookies to provide our visitors with a great user experience. There will be live music on Fri. and Sat. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. 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. 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. And it took four men to hold the largest wriggling reptiles down on a table so they could be measured for the biggest snake contest. Rattlesnake Bites: $10 We flash freeze the meat from our Rattlesnake Roundup, season, batter, and deep fry it to a golden brown. The important thing for organizers is that the historic festival was able to go ahead. 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.. Sweetwater, Texas 79556 325-235-3484 - Office nolancountycoliseum@gmail.com 231 subscribers 2020 rattlesnake roundup Sweetwater texas music: solitude musician: rook1e music:acoustic guitar 1 musician: music by audionautix.com Limited-time offer - $30 off Explore 85+. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. Nolan County Coliseum|1699 Cypress St, Sweetwater, TX | Map. But there is much more to the story that we need to tell. Camping is by reservations only. The 64th Annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11, 12, 13 2022 at The Nolan . 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. Theres even a pageant for local young women, Miss Snake Charmer. 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. 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. With two historical museums, the famous rattlesnake roundup, and much more, Sweetwater has fun attractions that will keep you busy! But on the first weekend after Easter, they become a platform for this tough annual raceThe Waynoka Rattlesnake Hunt. Rattles are used for souvenirs, as are the heads, Cumbie said. Winds WSW at 25 to 35 mph. of chicken wings, thrown in our Hot, Mild, or Inferno wing sauce. "We certainly haven't made the population extinct by any stretch of the imagination. Is this your event? 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. 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. Sweetwater, TX (79556) Today. 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. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph.. . Depending on the weather, or even a pandemic, the towns population beginning Friday could swell from about 11,000 to nearly 40,000 through Sunday. Windy with lots of sunshine. McCann said: "If someone could come up with a better way of killing rattlesnakesso we can keep doing our event, then please come teach me. 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. 2012 letter of praise for switching the Claxton Rattlesnake Roundup to a . A contestant at the Miss Snake Charmer pageant poses at the 2021 rattlesnake roundup. 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.The Sweetwater Rifle & Pistol Club Gun, Knife and Coin Show. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. Rattlesnake roundups take 2 different approaches, drawing praise and scorn. Visitors from Europe, New Zealand and Japan have been regulars at the show in past years, alongside locals in ten-gallon hats. They come here every single year.". Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. This does put us on the map, she said. A Georgia rattler roundup no longer kills the animals but Texas town of Sweetwater is proud of its tradition. Besides renewables, Sweetwater is also known for hosting special events that attract tourists. The hungriest competitors went head to head in the eating contest. The snakes skins will eventually show up on cowboy boots, belts and other western wear. var linktext = username + "@" + hostname; We have plenty of outdoor space for more vendors to enjoy the 65th World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup right here in Sweetwater, TX. What it does for our community is give us a sense of place.. Then came perfect weather for the one-day Georgia show, and there were no complaints whatsoever," he said. Active/retired military, $5 (with valid military ID); Ages 5-12, $5; 4 and under, free.. Come join the fun and check it out. Guided Snake Hunt - Saturday Saturday, March 12th For those wishing to see the rattlesnake in its natural habitat, we offer guided hunts. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. There's even a pageant for local young women, Miss Snake Charmer. 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. Then came perfect weather for the one-day Georgia show, and there were no complaints whatsoever, he said. Copyright 2022 KCBD. "That's my favorite part because they've got such neat stories to tell," McCann said. In Georgia, organizers say the more humane format they launched for the first time last weekend was a success. Join Festivalnet.com now to unlock additional details,