Bigger and better than ever, the Tampa Bay Rodeo and Family Festival, presented by Bartow Ford, gallops into the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds from Friday through Sunday, April 14-16 with three fun-filled days of action, activities and eats.
On the Friday and Saturday nights, cowboys and cowgirls compete in the rodeo through bull riding, barrel racing and bronco busting. Parents can register their littlest cowpokes on-site for the very popular mutton bustin’.
The evenings begin with the Family Festival prior to the rodeo, with delicious food, exciting games, amusing animals and live music on the Bud Light Entertainment Stage. New this year, plan to come back on Sunday for the Family Festival to enjoy all the day’s offerings and live music from different musical artists.
Tampa-area and Nashville recording artist Randy McNeeley takes the stage on Friday and Saturday nights, and nationally touring country artists Craig Campbell and Canaan Smith each perform on Sunday afternoon.
Everyone will have a rip-roaring good time at the Family Festival where guests can participate in a host of challenges, including riding the mechanical bull and axe throwing. The littlest wranglers can have fun with face painting, an interactive barnyard where they can pet and feed the critters, camel and pony rides and other fun activities and games like giant Jenga and an inflatable slide.
Tasty grub that will please even the littlest wrangler is available throughout the entire event, including barbecue, corn dogs, fried Oreos, turkey legs, tacos, cotton candy and much more. There’s something for everyone at this spring extravaganza.
The Tampa Bay Rodeo is an EBA-sanctioned event. Bulls, broncs and barrels are presented by 5S Bucking Bulls, based in Lithia. Competitors in EBA rodeos range in age from 7-55 years old, and at the Tampa Bay Rodeo there will be around 40 men and women competing.
Gates open at 4 p.m., and the rodeo begins at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; Sunday’s Family Festival is from 12 Noon- 5 p.m.
The Hillsborough County Fairgrounds are located at 215 Sydney Washer Rd. in Dover at the intersection of State Road 60 and Sydney Washer Road, east of Brandon. Visit https://hillsboroughcountyfair.com/ for tickets and more information.
