It's Stock Show and Rodeo time in Fort Worth.
The annual fest of all-things-Western gets started Friday at the Will Rogers Rogers Memorial Center, off University Drive in Fort Worth. That includes the livestock shows, the rodeos, a calendar full of concerts and a carnival midway.
Here's everything you need to know about the Stock Show, which runs through Feb. 9:
How (and when) to get in
Admission to the Stock Show (including the carnival midway) costs $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-16. Children five and under get in free.
Rodeo tickets are sold separately, typically starting at about $30, but your rodeo ticket will get you into the Stock Show.
Gates to the Stock Show open daily, starting Friday, at 8 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Hours for the midway, rodeos and concert tent run later and vary by day. Here's the full list of Stock Show hours.
Where to park (and how much)
Public parking cost $12 per vehicle. There are three main parking areas:
• The green parking lots at Farrington Field, east of the Will Rogers Complex at University Drive and Crestline Road.
• The orange parking lot and western heritage parking garage, west of the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall and accessible from Lancaster Avenue for eastbound and westbound traffic.
• Small blue parking lot, located at the northeast corner of Montgomery Street and Harley Avenue. This lot is accessed on the north side of Harley for westbound traffic only.
• UNT parking garage, located north of Camp Bowie Boulevard. Only available for parking on Friday nights and weekends.
You can also save $5, and maybe some traffic headache, by parking at Billy Bob's Texas in north Fort worth and taking the $5 Rodeo Redline shuttle on Saturdays and Sundays.
The livestock shows pay – big time
When you hit the Stock Show grounds, the first thing you'll notice is the smell. Then you'll see the hundreds of steers, pigs, sheep and other various livestock who call the Will Rogers complex home each January. And they're not just there for show. At the junior Stock Show, the grand champion steer is often sold for six-figures – last year's winner, a European Crossbred steer named Mufasa, sold for $200,000. Even the top barrow (a hog, fyi) has been known to rake in tens of thousands of dollars. The junior Stock Show typically draws more than 10,000 entries across all competitions.
The rodeo doesn't pay too bad either
The Stock Show features three weeks of rodeo action, including a bull riding-only event on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23. But the main draw is the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) competition starting Jan. 25. Last year's event paid out more than $666,000 in winnings, including more than $8,800 to the top bull rider. Here's the full rodeo schedule and where to buy tickets through Ticketmaster.
Not into livestock? There's music, too
The Coors Light Roadhouse on the Stock Show grounds is featuring a busy schedule of concerts, mostly of the Texas Country variety. Admission to the concerts is free with entry to the Stock Show, except after 9 p.m. on Thursday-Saturday, when a $10 cover charge is added. Here's the full lineup of acts.
New arena almost done
Last year, the big construction project on the grounds of the Will Rogers complex hardly had the makings of a finished arena. This year, the new Dickies Arena will appear nearly done – at least on the outside. The exterior of the 14,000-seat arena is mostly finished, and expected to be open by November.
Anything else?
The Stock Show put together a helpful FAQ list, which (hopefully) answers every possible question you might have. Check it out on their website.