Florida’s hottest show on dirt returns. The Tampa Bay Rodeo & Family Festival, presented by Bartow Ford, charges into the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday, July 19 and 20. Fresh off a sold-out event in April, this summer’s rodeo promises to be a can’t-be-missed event with new competitors, new livestock and thrilling action throughout. The area’s best cowboys and cowgirls are saddling up for two days of rodeo competition, including bull riding, bronco riding, barrel racing, team roping, calf roping and steer wrestling. Fans can come early to the Family Festival for yummy food, refreshing beverages, live music and fun activities for the entire family. Tickets are on sale now for this high-energy event; parking is free.
To beat the summer heat, guests can cool off in one of the brand-new Family Festival Cool Zones, offering shade and misters. One Cool Zone is located in the 150-foot-by-130-foot Mega Tent, a new addition this year. The other is in the Entertainment Beer Barn where Crossfire Creek Band will take the stage both nights playing country tunes.
“We are always looking for ways to make the Tampa Bay Rodeo a bigger and better experience for families,” said event producer Ryan Henning. “Providing a way for everyone to get out of the sun and cool off was important to us because of the heat we’ve been experiencing in Florida. Plus, we know fans like a full rodeo, so we are featuring six different competitions this summer.”
As always, there will be delicious fare, including barbecue, tacos, pork rinds, pizza, corn dogs, funnel cakes and more. Attendees can quench their thirst with cold sodas, water or refreshing beer. Making its Family Festival debut, monster truck Later Gator raises dust with wheel-churning rides. Guests can test their skills on the always-popular mechanical bull or try their hand at ax throwing. While food and some activities require an extra fee, there are plenty of amusements included in the ticket price, such as kids/family yard games, such as Jenga, Connect 4 and cornhole; the 45-foot-tall Super Slide; and a goat playground area, complete with adorable baby goats. Multiple photo-op areas allow families to capture memories of the night.
For more information and tickets, please visit the https://tamparodeo.com/. The Hillsborough County Fairgrounds are located at 215 Sydney Washer Rd. in Dover.
