The move ends Georgia's inhumane rattlesnake roundup legacy. 64th Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater March 11-13, 5:00-10:00 carnival - $35 all day pass (carnival rides only) or $100 all weekend pass (carnival only), 7:00 PM Miss Snake Charmer Pageant at Municipal Auditorium 201 E 4th Street - adult ticket $10, student ticket $5, Tickets prices: adults $10, active/retired military $5 with valid ID, children 5-12 $5, children 4 and under free, 9:00-6:00 Sweetwater rifle and Pistol Club Gun, Knife, and Coin Show with $5 entry, children 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult, 8:00-5:00 Sweetwater Lions Club Flea Market, 10:00 Guided Snake Hunts - Must sign up prior and must have valid hunting license, 2:00PM - 12:00 AM Carnival - $35 all day pass for rides and tickets $1, 9:00-6:00 Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club Gun, Knife, and Coin Show with $5 entry, children 12 & under free when accompanied by an adult, 10:00AM - 12:00 AM Carnival - $35 all day pass for rides or tickets $1, 8:00 PM Dance at the Jaycee Barn at 307 W 4th Street - $20 per person and cooler charge $5 small $10 large, 4:00 Longest Snake Contest and Most Pounds Entered Awards, 9:00-5:00 Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club Gun, Coin, and Knife Show - $5 entry fee, children 12& under free when accompanied by an adult, 10:00AM-8:00PM Carnival - $35 day pass for carnival rides or tickets $1. Each spring, the small city of Sweetwater, Texas, hosts what it bills as the world's largest rattlesnake roundup. Then came perfect weather for the one-day Georgia show, and there were no complaints whatsoever," he said. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Then came perfect weather for the one-day Georgia show, and there were no complaints whatsoever, he said. FNdocumentWrite("") In Georgia, organizers say the more humane format they launched for the first time last weekend was a success. The dunes of the Little Sahara in Little Sahara State Park are the perfect place to ride ATVs. The World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup takes place in Sweetwater, Texas, every year. Nolan County Coliseum1699 Cypress St Sweetwater, TX, 2023 Copyright Everfest, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. There was also a guided hunt on the outskirts of town, a carnival parade and a gun show. Publication of festival information does not imply endorsement by or affiliation with Everfest. Your User ID or Password reset link will be sent to you. It's 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. It began 64 years ago to keep snakes from overtaking the town and attacking livestock, pets and people, organizers say. Heads are pickled in jars complete with exposed fangs, while the flesh is chopped into nuggets and deep fried. 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 said. We want everybody to come and see us and see what we're doing.". "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. In Georgia, organizers say the more humane format they launched for the first time last weekend was a success. The 64th Annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11, 12, 13 2022 at The Nolan County Coliseum, . 79556. Winds WSW at 25 to 35 mph. They come here every single year.". Visitors and news crews from around the nation and the globe frequently are seen perusing the snake pits at Nolan County Coliseum. It began 64 years ago to keep snakes from overtaking the town and attacking . This event runs alongside the Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club's gun and coin show, founded in the 1940s. Meat judges are needed, so feel free to volunteer. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. var linktext = username + "@" + hostname; Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup Where: Nolan County Coliseum, 220 Coliseum Drive Cost: Adults $10. For Sweetwater, the festival brings in a reported $8.3 million for the town. 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. We also butcher about 1,000 pounds of them each year that we actually cook on the spot.". Rattlesnakes are fascinating, beautiful, but often feared and misunderstood creatures. Active/retired military, $5 (with valid military ID); Ages 5-12, $5; 4 and under, free.. Then came perfect weather for the one-day Georgia show, and there were no complaints whatsoever, he said. Gates open at noon Friday and cost is $5 per person/per day. The Fascinating Underwater World and the Legacy of Jacques Cousteau Free High-Quality Documentaries 50th Annual Freer Rattlesnake Round-Up Wolters World 2.2M views 6 years ago 10 Most Beautiful. Yes, were the rattlesnake town, they would say. The 64th Annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11, 12, 13 2022 at The Nolan . Join Now: Vendors | Artists | Already PRO? 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. In 2021, the Sweetwater Roundup caught 3,682 pounds of rattlesnakes. Dates: March 10th - 12th, 2023. Get In Touch. 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. The Sweetwater Jaycees visited the Texas State Capitol Building this week to promote public awareness of rattlesnakes in advance of the 63rd World's Largest Rattlesnake Round up. Guided Snake Hunt - Friday Friday, March 11th For those wishing to see the rattlesnake in its natural habitat, we offer guided hunts. A contestant at the Miss Snake Charmer pageant poses at the 2021 rattlesnake roundup. 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. Everybody was nervous about it and didnt know how it would go, Cox added. 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. 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. Courtesy photo The Sweetwater Jaycee's famed Rattlesnake Roundup is set for March 11-14 at Nolan County Coliseum, where just west of Abilene this weekend, scores of snake wranglers will risk a . This does put us on the map, she said. The bloodiest part is the skinning pit, where people can try their hand at pulling off the pelts - which are preserved and used as leather. By accessing our site, you agree to the terms of Everfest's privacy policy. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a14f7458b5429f1 All Rights Reserved. Rattlesnake roundups take 2 different approaches, drawing praise and scorn. But on the first weekend after Easter, they become a platform for this tough annual raceThe Waynoka Rattlesnake Hunt. 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. McCann admitted the event was a test of how the state can open up safely and there are "lots of eyes on us". He told the Abilene Reporter-News: "We welcome that. Doors open Friday at 8 a.m., cost is $10 for adults, $5 for active/retired military and $5 for children ages 5-12, with those 4 and under free. But no such changes are occurring at a huge rattlesnake roundup beginning this weekend, Saturday March 12, 2022 in Texas, a festival that the activists say is barbaric. 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. But no such changes are occurring at a huge rattlesnake roundup beginning this weekend in Texas, a festival that the activists say is barbaric. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Rounding Up Sweetwater started out as a short student film project to capture the worlds largest rattlesnake roundup in Sweetwater, Texas. Wing Dings: $8 1 lb. Thousands of people, including families with young kids, flocked to take part in festivities this weekend at the Nolan County Coliseum in Sweetwater, Texas. A bike show, bike games, and raffles, will happen later on the evening following the awards ceremony. All rights reserved. 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. Everybody was nervous about it and didnt know how it would go, Cox said. Historically, the first rattlesnake Roundup kicked off in 1958, at Sweetwater, Texas, U.S. You Click to reveal 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 It arose as a result of a wide influx of rattlesnakes that were killing livestock and pets of inhabitants of the community. FestivalNet is not the event & does not book the participants; we provide contact info to save you time in event research. We will be donating the first month of each new vendor & artist subscription to the Austin Justice Coalition. FILE -Sweetwater Jaycees clean and skinned rattlesnakes during 57th. Thousands of people, including families with young kids, flocked to take part in festivities this weekend at the Nolan County Coliseum in Sweetwater, Texas. 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. Its very much part of our culture.. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The 64th Sweetwater Jaycees World's Largest Annual Rattlesnake Roundup is this weekend. This year's winner, Avery Schiffner, 16, greeted festival-goers with a live rattlesnake coiled round her neck. Join Festivalnet.com now to unlock additional details,