2012 letter of praise for switching the Claxton Rattlesnake Roundup to a . Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. . All rights reserved. Rattlesnakes are fascinating, beautiful, but often feared and misunderstood creatures. Guided Snake Hunt - Friday Friday, March 11th For those wishing to see the rattlesnake in its natural habitat, we offer guided hunts. Hes the chairman of the milking pit, where venom is extracted and then used to develop various drugs for a range of illnesses. GRUESOME pictures show rattlesnakes being beheaded, skinned and eaten at a festival in Texas. TX Oklahoma. This does put us on the map, she said. In Texas, the Sweetwater roundup is intertwined with the town's culture and draws visitors from all over the world. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Copyright 2022 KCBD. var linktext = username + "@" + hostname; . What is advertised as the "World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup" draws about 25,000 visitors annually to the town of Sweetwater, a community in Texas made up of a little over 10,000 people. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has expressed concerns about how it couldimpact other species that share their habitat. Festival-goers were encouraged to wear masks but they were not compulsory and few people actually did. Karen Hunt grew up in Sweetwater, and recalls fellow Texans asking her about her hometown. Continue with Recommended Cookies. There's literally no waste, he said. 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. 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. 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. FREER, Texas - The largest festival of the year in one South Texas city took a deadly turn after a . . Rattlesnake roundups take 2 different approaches, drawing praise and scorn 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 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. Our feature-length documentary, Rounding Up Sweetwater, will debunk both the pseudo-science used to justify roundups as well as negative . 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 on 25 March. The town of 11,000 is expected to swell to about 30,000 during the festival, which runs from Friday through Sunday, said Dennis Cumbie, one of the organizers. Wing Dings: $8 1 lb. We encourage you to join us and consider supporting the Austin Justice Coalition or the organization leading the ongoing movement for accountability and change in your community. All Rights Reserved. Rattles are used for souvenirs, as are the heads, Cumbie said. Gates open at noon Friday and cost is $5 per person/per day. Then came perfect weather for the one-day Georgia show, and there were no complaints whatsoever," he said. 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. 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. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Addie Gedea; Mar 12, 2022 Mar 12, 2022 Updated Mar 12, 2022; Comments; . He's the chairman of the milking pit, where venom is extracted and then used to develop various drugs for a range of illnesses. There's even a pageant for local young women, Miss Snake Charmer. FestivalNet is not the event & does not book the participants; we provide contact info to save you time in event research. Now, as director of the Sweetwater and Nolan County Chamber of Commerce, Hunt fields calls from people in England, Germany and other parts of the world inquiring about the festival and making plans to visit. 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. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. A Georgia rattler roundup no longer kills the animals but Texas town of Sweetwater is proud of its tradition. Rattlesnake Roundup Parade March 10, 2022. Theres even a pageant for local young women, Miss Snake Charmer. Waurika and Waynoka will hold their rattlesnake festivals next weekend. Historically, the first rattlesnake Roundup kicked off in 1958, at Sweetwater, Texas, U.S. 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. Is this your event? For Immediate Release, February 28, 2022 Contact: Elise Bennett, (727) 755-6950, ebennett@biologicaldiversity.org . Must be an Everfest PRO member to view contact info. It's very much part of our culture.". Service to humanity, is the best work of life. Exact attendance figures are unknown because many people such as children are admitted free, but Ive heard anywhere from 7,000 to 15,000, said longtime volunteer Jeffrey Cox, who has been helping to organize the Whigham Rattlesnake Roundup for the past four decades. | Austin, TX. SWEETWATER, Texas (KCBD) - The 64th Annual Worlds Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11 through 13 at the Nolan County Coliseum, located at 220 Coliseum Drive in Sweetwater. He told the Abilene Reporter-News: "We welcome that. Adults: $5. This year's winner, Avery Schiffner, 16, greeted festival-goers with a live rattlesnake coiled round her neck. Now, as director of the Sweetwater and Nolan county chamber of commerce, Hunt fields calls from people in England, Germany and other parts of the world inquiring about the festival and making plans to visit. Yes, were the rattlesnake town, they would say. Around two and a half tons of western diamondback rattlesnakes are rounded up each year for the festival, which was founded in 1958 as a way to control the population. The 64th Sweetwater Jaycees World's Largest Annual Rattlesnake Roundup is this weekend. Plans for the "World's 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.. 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. 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. Click to reveal This event runs alongside the Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club's gun and coin show, founded in the 1940s. Sweetwater, TX (79556) Today. But no such changes are occurring at a huge rattlesnake roundup beginning this weekend in Texas, a festival that the activists say is barbaric. Sweetwater Jaycees Rattlesnake Round Up 2023 Nolan County Colisuem 220 Coliseum Drive, Sweetwater, TX Sat 11 March 11 Downtown Lions Club Car Show Thu 23 March 23 - March 25 Ranger College Rodeo at Nolan County Coliseum Nolan County Colisuem 220 Coliseum Drive, Sweetwater, TX Fri 24 March 24 - March 26 Rattlesnake Gravel Grind In 2021, the Sweetwater Roundup caught 3,682 pounds of rattlesnakes. Box 1148 Sweetwater, Texas 79556; 325-235-5488; 800-658-6757; Stay In Touch . 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. Everybody was nervous about it and didnt know how it would go, Cox said. Hunters gather the snakes theres a contest for those capturing the largest ones and theyre brought to the Nolan County Coliseum, where multiple parts of the snakes are harvested, Cumbie said. Thousands of rattlesnakes are bagged up to be put on display in the snake pits. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. "That's my favorite part because they've got such neat stories to tell," McCann said. By accessing our site, you agree to the terms of Everfest's privacy policy. Sweetwater Municipal Auditorium. This is a major attraction that people from all over the world come to for the 2nd full weekend in March every year. The city's farmers and ranchers rose and banded together to eradicate rattlesnakes. 2022, at the Rattlesnake Roundup Grounds in Whigham. 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. Texas rattlesnake butchering festival continues despite objections A Georgia rattler roundup no longer kills the animals but Texas town of Sweetwater is proud of its tradition A. 79556. "We have a family that comes from Australia. Heads are pickled in jars complete with exposed fangs, while the flesh is chopped into nuggets and deep fried. Sweetwater, TX (79556) Today. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. It began 64 years ago to keep snakes from overtaking the town and attacking livestock, pets and people, organizers say. Theres literally no waste, he said. Plans for the "World's 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. The dunes of the Little Sahara in Little Sahara State Park are the perfect place to ride ATVs. This website uses cookies to provide our visitors with a great user experience. The hungriest competitors went head to head in the eating contest. 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 Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. Join Festivalnet.com now to unlock additional details,