Hey, San Antonio, don your best cowboy hat and spurs, lasso your sidekick, and get ready to have a bucking good time. The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo rides into town Thursday, February 10 for more than two weeks of steer-wrestling, barrel-racing, bull-riding glory and live-music entertainment at the AT&T Center and Freeman Coliseum.

The rip-roaring event kicks off in less than 10 days and will feature an impressive collection of tournament-style competitive rodeo events, as well as tons of live performances from music legends like Toby Keith, Little Texas, Tanya Tucker, Tim McGraw, and Brad Paisley, as well as some unexpected musical guests, among them Ludacris and Night Ranger, and a massive fairgrounds festival with carnival attractions and more live music.

If this ain’t your first rodeo, you probably know the ropes. But for those who may be riding out for the first time, here’s some helpful info to know before you go.

Hours of operation
The rodeo is open for cowboy business every day during its stint, but different elements of the multifaceted event offer varying hours of operation:

• The festival, attractions, and shops will be open Sunday through Thursday 10 am-8 pm, and Friday and Saturday 10 am-9 pm.
• The carnival will be open Monday through Friday 4-10 pm, Saturday 10 am-midnight, and Sunday 10 am-10 pm.
• The live-music venues close at 11 pm Sunday through Thursday and at midnight Friday and Saturday.

Tickets
Rodeo tickets include access to the rodeo events, as well as to the carnival and entertainment performances following the PRCA Rodeo events, which start about two hours after the rodeo. Get your tickets by calling 877-63-RODEO or through ticketmaster.com or sarodeo.com. Children 2 and younger get in free; everyone else needs a ticket. You can learn more about accessing all the entertainment and managing your tickets here.

Prohibited items
While rodeo-goers are allowed to bring in bags, briefcases, and backpacks, those items are all subject to search and seizure, so pack wisely.

The following items are prohibited on the rodeo fairgrounds:

• Selfie sticks
• Drones
• Hover boards
• Pepper spray/mace
• Firearms (concealed or open carry)
• Knives with blades longer than 3 inches
• Laser pointers
• Outside food and beverages, coolers, bottles, and cans
• Any other item deemed unacceptable by management

Additionally, the following items are strictly prohibited in the Freeman Coliseum & AT&T Center:

• Professional camera/video equipment
• Detachable lenses
• Lenses longer than 3 inches
• Filming with iPads/tablets
• Go Pro-style cameras
• Professional flashes
• Strollers

Safety precautions
The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo says it has implemented significant measures to provide a safe environment for youth exhibitors, rodeo athletes, and rodeo fans. The entire event will continue to follow current state health and safety guidelines closely.

Masks are not required, but given the current COVID-19 threat levels and the fact that the rodeo routinely attracts about 1.5 million visitors to the grounds each year, it’s probably a good idea to mask up for safety.

Parking
The best way to secure parking and save yourself the time and hassle of tracking down a spot is to purchase a parking ticket. They are available for a variety of prices and types here. Parking tickets include date-specific access to Lot 1 Monday through Friday or access to the Rodeo Express Shuttle on Gembler Road any day of the week. Rodeo staff encourages attendees to add their digital parking ticket to their smartphone’s mobile wallet for a seamless parking experience.

Spending
There’s nothing worse than reveling in a super cool event and wanting to buy all the things, then realizing you don’t have the appropriate form of moolah.

Rodeo fans, take note: The AT&T Center is a cashless venue, so though attendees will be able to use cash at the festival and fairgrounds, AT&T Center will not accept cash payments. For those who come unprepared, there are reverse ATMs available outside the building along the concourse.

For more information about the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo and to check out maps, visit the event online.