The weekend kicks off on Thursday with a rattlesnake parade, carnival . The two events are a marked contrast in how rattlesnakes are handled. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. McCann admitted the event was a test of how the state can open up safely and there are "lots of eyes on us". If its the second weekend in March, that means its time for the Worlds Largest Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater. All rights reserved. Eugene De Leon Sr. died Saturday night from his injury at Rattlesnake Roundup in Freer. Children watched in awe as handlers tipped buckets of venomous snakes into a writhing pit. For more information, please contact. Restrooms and free warm showers are available. "We were the biggest event going on in the country, which was rather scary when you think about it, before everything kind of shut down," said Rob McCann, public relations director for the Sweetwater Jaycees. SWEETWATER JAYCEES World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup March 10, 11, 12 2023 In Georgia, organizers say the more humane format they launched for the first time last weekend was a success. ", 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Katie Tyson, 18, runner up in the Miss Snake Charmer pageant, poses in the snake pit in Sweetwater, Texas, Hundreds of western diamondback rattlesnakes are rounded up each year, Festival-goers can try their hand at beheading and skinning snakes, Avery Schiffner, 16, was crowned Miss Snake Charmer 2021, Kids watch in awe as a handler picks up one of the venomous reptiles, It takes four men to hold down the biggest snakes so they can be measured, The skinning pit is one of the highlights of the Rattlesnake Roundup, Around two and a half tons of snakes are killed each year, Heads displayed on a table ready to be preserved, The heads are pickled in jars with the fangs exposed, A festival-goer skins a rattlesnake during the 2021 Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas, Those who have skinned a snake are invited to make a bloody hand print on the wall, The flesh is deep fried and served as nuggets, Competitors take part in the eating contest, The festival dates back to 1958, when farmers wanted a way to control the snake population, A guided snake hunt on the outskirts of Sweetwater, Kaleb Merritt, ten, skins a snake he caught on the hunt, Hundreds of rattlesnakes are caught and killed each year, Python breaks through toilet ceiling at restaurant in Thailand. 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. Heads are pickled in jars complete with exposed fangs, while the flesh is chopped into nuggets and deep fried. We want everybody to come and see us and see what we're doing.". The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Meat judges are needed, so feel free to volunteer. Our feature-length documentary, Rounding Up Sweetwater, will debunk both the pseudo-science used to justify roundups as well as negative . Check out the schedule of events below: Thursday March 10 4:30 Rattlesnake Parade Continue with Recommended Cookies. What it does for our community is give us a sense of place.. A mix of light freezing rain and sleet this morning.then cloudy late. Publication of festival information does not imply endorsement by or affiliation with Everfest. 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. 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. Yes, were the rattlesnake town, they would say. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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. There's even a pageant for local young women, Miss Snake Charmer. Sweetwater, TX (79556) Today. Hunters gather the snakes theres a contest for those capturing the largest ones and they are brought to the Nolan county coliseum, where multiple parts of the snakes are harvested, Cumbie said. Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup Where: Nolan County Coliseum, 220 Coliseum Drive Cost: Adults $10. 79556. 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.. 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.. 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. Handlers grabbed them safely behind the jaws so children could stroke them up close. Its the biggest event in this town every year, Cumbie said. In Georgia, organizers say the more humane format they launched for the first time last weekend was a success. Addie Gedea; Mar 12, 2022 Mar 12, 2022 Updated Mar 12, 2022; Comments; . After seeing firsthand what goes on in Sweetwater every year, we know there is a better way. The festival started in 1958 and runs annually during the second weekend of March in the city of Sweetwater in Central Texas. There's even a pageant for local young women, Miss Snake Charmer.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 . Festival-goers were encouraged to wear masks but they were not compulsory and few people actually did. Rattles are used for souvenirs, as are the heads, Cumbie said. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. . 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. 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. 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.. The World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup takes place in Sweetwater, Texas, every year. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Cookerregistration is $80 or $25 ea. Adults: $5. Rattlesnakes are symbols of freedom and independence; teaching that snakes are scary and useless minimizes their significance in our cultural and ecological heritage.. I'd love to have that discussion. In 2021, the Sweetwater Roundup caught 3,682 pounds of rattlesnakes. 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. The roundup closes at 5 p.m. Friday and Sunday, and at 6 p.m. Saturday. Apache's will follow on April 15-18. 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. The move ends Georgia's inhumane rattlesnake roundup legacy. The hungriest competitors went head to head in the eating contest. 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 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 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. Center for Biological Diversity: Largest Remaining Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas, Should Follow Suit, Conservationists Say. Copyright 2022 KCBD. 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. Events began at 4:30 p.m. Thursday with the Rattlesnake Parade, which was followed at 7 p.m. by the Miss Snake Charmer Pageant at Sweetwater Municipal Auditorium. Sweetwater Jaycees Announce Rattlesnake Roundup Media Day; City Council Hears . If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com. But no such changes are occurring at a huge rattlesnake roundup beginning this weekend in Texas, a festival that the activists say is barbaric. This is the start of their holiday weekend. All rights reserved. Then came perfect weather for the one-day Georgia show, and there were no complaints whatsoever, he said. Karen Hunt grew up in Sweetwater, and recalls fellow Texans asking her about her hometown. 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. For Sweetwater, the festival brings in a reported $8.3 million for the town. Rattlesnake roundups take two paths, drawing praise and scorn by The Associated Press | March 12, 2022 at 10:00 p.m. They are also the victims of the largest public slaughter of native wildlife in the United States. 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.. We probably had more actual snakes there this year, even though it was a different format than what we've had.. Guided Snake Hunt - Friday Friday, March 11th For those wishing to see the rattlesnake in its natural habitat, we offer guided hunts. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. He's the chairman of the milking pit, where venom is extracted and then used to develop various drugs for a range of illnesses. var username = "info"; Enter the email address you used when you joined. (Courtney Sacco/Odessa American via AP, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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, TX (79556) Today. This event runs alongside the Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club's gun and coin show, founded in the 1940s. Click to reveal You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. 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. The diamond rattlesnake managed to secure a festival of its own in Sweetwater, Texas, and people absolutely love it. FestivalNet is not the event & does not book the participants; we provide contact info to save you time in event research. Box 1148 Sweetwater, Texas 79556; 325-235-5488; 800-658-6757; Stay In Touch . Get In Touch. Festival information may not be up to date due to COVID-19, but you can view our list of cancellations here. 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 on 25 March. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Rattlesnake Roundup Parade March 10, 2022. This year, however, so many snakes were rounded up that there's hardly a market for selling. Everybody was nervous about it and didnt know how it would go, Cox added. "We have a family that comes from Australia. 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