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What a fun 10 days of the Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo! In our family, we are ALL in each year. Our girls have come to love it and the special memories we’ve made will last a lifetime. It’s definitely become a tradition every year when October roles around. From fair food, rides and games, to mutton bustin and the petting zoo, there is a lot to enjoy! In our experience everything runs smoothly and the staff is very helpful, if needed. Even the rodeo sweethearts are so kind with the kids!

I’d like to recap and highlight some of our favorite things about the fair and rodeo, along with revealing some tips and tricks before you go! If you’ve never been as a family I hope this encourages you next year to give it a go-I promise you won’t be disappointed! Here are my top 10 things (in no particular order) we love and adore about HOT Fair & Rodeo:

1. Corndogs and Turkey legs! This is a fair food staple, if you ask me. They may be pricey but it’s worth it for a day on the fair grounds!
2. Face painting with the rodeo sweethearts-a quick face paint to brighten your little cowboy or cowgirl’s day! It’s located at the Cavender’s Kids’ Zone.
3. Pony rides! Our girls LOVE riding the ponies every year. It’s nothing fancy except trottin’ around in a circle but worth it to see those sweet smiles.
4. Petting zoo-located under the H-E-Buddy Barnyard tent (there’s a lot to do here actually). You can’t miss seeing it, nor the smell! Tee hee hee. Bring cash, if you want to feed the animals! Magic Money bands and credit cards are not accepted here which is the complete opposite from everything else on the fair grounds, HA! The animals are very friendly and nosey. 😉 Be careful when you hold your cup of food because they can snatch it right out from your hand and fast! However, there is no obligation to feed. You can simply mingle around and love on them!
5. Sea Lion Splash! We’ve never caught the full show until this year! It was so cute and the girls were glued to it. They’ll do tricks and jumps, and if you’re lucky you might get picked to go up on stage with them! This event is free with general fair admission. If you want to pay extra for a picture with the sea lions after the show is over, it’s an option!
6. Extreme Dog Stunt Dog Show! Another free event with fair admission. What a cool show if your kids love dogs. They travel around the U.S. and promote animal rescue and pet adoption! The more you cheer, the higher they can jump and the more their tails wag! 🙂
7. Ferris Wheel-it’s a given! Go at night if you can because the view is incredible!
8. Mutton Bustin-located at the Cavender’s Kids’ Zone. You can casually sit and watch or if you think your kiddo is up for a challenge, you can sign them up (in advance-usually around the first part of September)! It’s by far my favorite thing about the fair and rodeo (if they advance)!
9. Shopping at the B.A.S.E- the newest addition to the Extraco Event Center. It’s a beautiful building with lots of vendors and games inside! Check them out on your visit, especially if you don’t want to use a porta potty!
10. THE RODEO! Even if you aren’t a western person in general, you need to go! It’s so entertaining. From the American flair to the rodeo clown to bull riding, there’s nothing like it. I’m always amazed every year watching these cowboys and cowgirls compete. They work so hard and it shows. FYI, fair admission is included if you purchase a rodeo ticket-bonus!

There’s so much more I didn’t list but you can find everything you need to know here.

Tips and Tricks: This year they implemented a clear bag policy, however they did accept other bags and purses with mandated searches. For littles, you are able to bring in snacks and sealed water bottles. This was handy because my 4 year old can be picky at times! The weather often doesn’t feel like Fall, so feel free to bring in a hand held fan or an attachment to go on your stroller. Credit cards are accepted for all food vendors so leave your wad of cash at home. Another point note to make: You have to purchase an magic money armband for rides and games. Be sure to follow ‘hotfairandrodeo’ on Instagram or Facebook for early fair and rodeo deals (worth it!!!) or daily admission deals. They will also tell you the itinerary for the day-it’s very informative! This year we took advantage of the family fun pass which saved money on the front end, so I encourage you to not miss out on ANY of the early specials they run! Thanks for reading along-I hope this was helpful as a mom in planning to attend next year!

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All in all, the HOT Fair and Rodeo is a must for your fall bucket list in Waco! Have you been?  What’s your favorite thing? Are you excited to go next year? Tell us in the comments! And be sure to tag @WacoMoms so we can see all the fun you’re having while you’re there.