KHOU – The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo announced Tuesday that it will return in May 2021.
The plans rely on COVID-19 health conditions being safe at the time. The Junior Livestock Show and Rodeo will still be held in March.
“This isn’t about us being the first to close, the first to open,” said Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo president and CEO Chris Boleman. “It’s just about us trying to give some hope and some optimism and happiness.”
“What we’re really doing is buying time, right,” Boleman said. “ To see where we are and what the world is going to look like. And because this May timeline was presented and worked for us here, we decided we should take advantage of that.”
Big news, y'all! #RODEOHOUSTON 2021 is now scheduled for May 4-23! We still plan to hold our Livestock and Horse Show in March. We can't wait to see y'all in May! 🤠Read more >> https://t.co/3VzSC8iRJs @ctboleman pic.twitter.com/s7WLCbtbEH
— RODEOHOUSTON (@RODEOHOUSTON) December 8, 2020
But if the world is not dramatically healthier by May, and the show can’t go on as planned, Boleman said the 2021 rodeo season would likely be canceled altogether, and the focus would be shifted to the 2022 season.
“You never say never, right? But at some point, it’s pretty clear to me that once we get through May, we would really have to take really hard look at closing the books and moving ahead,” he said.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner responded to the announcement Tuesday stating that he is optimistic that vaccines will improve the chances things will be back to normal by the middle of 2021.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo released a statement which reads in part:
“We still do not know if hosting a mass gathering like the Rodeo in May will be feasible, safe or advisable, and it may well not be.”
“With the evolving health situation, we have made the decision to move the 2021 Rodeo from March to May, with the exception of our Junior Livestock and Horse Show competitions, to be held as planned in March. We remain dedicated to fulfilling our mission to support Texas youth and hosting a long-time Houston tradition,” Boleman said.