For Immediate Release, February 28, 2022 Contact: Elise Bennett, (727) 755-6950, ebennett@biologicaldiversity.org . If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup Where: Nolan County Coliseum, 220 Coliseum Drive Cost: Adults $10. . 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. 810 E Broadway P.O. But no such changes are occurring at a huge rattlesnake roundup beginning this weekend in Texas, a festival that the activists say is barbaric. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The diamond rattlesnake managed to secure a festival of its own in Sweetwater, Texas, and people absolutely love it. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. Since 1958, the Sweetwater Jaycees has hosted the largest rattlesnake roundup in the world. Karen Hunt grew up in Sweetwater, and recalls fellow Texans asking her about her hometown. We want everybody to come and see us and see what we're doing.". Depending on the weather, or even a pandemic, the town's population. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. What it does for our community is give us a sense of place.. The event is a fundraiser for local youth programs. WOODSTOCK, Ga. 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. Full hindquarter, seasoned and grilled. 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. 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. SWEETWATER, Texas (KCBD) - The 64th Annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11 through 13 at the Nolan County Coliseum, located at 220 Coliseum Drive in Sweetwater. But perhaps most importantly, we will show theres a better way, that it is possible to stop slaughtering snakes without losing their festivals or the income they generate. Join Now: Vendors | Artists | Already PRO? We learn how you can have fun at the event even if you want to stay clear of the snakes. This year's winner, Avery Schiffner, 16, greeted festival-goers with a live rattlesnake coiled round her neck. NOLAN COUNTY COLISEUM Sweetwater, TX Terry Locklar General Manager - Marketing Director 220 Coliseum Drive. Besides renewables, Sweetwater is also known for hosting special events that attract tourists. Free patch & pin with pre-registration by 4-04-2020. Theres no waste, he said. After seeing firsthand what goes on in Sweetwater every year, we know there is a better way. Hes the chairman of the milking pit, where venom is extracted and then used to develop various drugs for a range of illnesses. Sweetwater Jaycees Rattle Staid State Capitol with Snakes Miss Snake Charmer 2023 Contestants Attend Pageant Tea Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, SEED, City of Sweetwater, NFC Partner to Bring Free Fitness Court to Newman Park SISD Transfers SHS Interim Principalship to Kathy Smartt All Rights Reserved. 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. 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 If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. 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. FestivalNet is not the event & does not book the participants; we provide contact info to save you time in event research. "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. The Sweetwater Jaycees society, which runs the festival, said they were thrilled it could go ahead after a year of uncertainty. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Wing Dings: $8 1 lb. The hungriest competitors went head to head in the eating contest. The 64th Annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11, 12, 13 2022 at The Nolan . Check out the schedule of events below: Thursday March 10 4:30 Rattlesnake Parade Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. 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. Its the biggest event in this town every year, Cumbie said. Back row Left to right: Del Riley, Blake Stephens, David Sager, Miss Texas, Mallory Fuller, Chris Thomas, Dee Thomas, Cody Cox. 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. He's the chairman of the milking pit, where venom is extracted and then used to develop various drugs for a range of illnesses. Nolan County Coliseum McCann admitted the event was a test of how the state can open up safely and there are "lots of eyes on us". Yes, we're the rattlesnake town, they would say. They are also the victims of the largest public slaughter of native wildlife in the United States. 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.. 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. Sweetwater, Guided Snake Hunt - Saturday Saturday, March 12th For those wishing to see the rattlesnake in its natural habitat, we offer guided hunts. "We certainly haven't made the population extinct by any stretch of the imagination. Sweetwater Jaycees Announce Rattlesnake Roundup Media Day; Ridin . This is a major attraction that people from all over the world come to for the 2nd full weekend in March every year. Ronald Erdrich is the photojournalist and a columnist for the Abilene Reporter-News. Windy with lots of sunshine. 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. Its the biggest event in this town every year, Cumbie said. Manage Settings He told the Abilene Reporter-News: "We welcome that. The important thing for organizers is that the historic festival was able to go ahead. Visitors from Europe, New Zealand and Japan have been regulars at the show in past years, alongside locals in ten-gallon hats. Rattlesnakes are fascinating, beautiful, but often feared and misunderstood creatures. Restrooms and free warm showers are available. of chicken wings, thrown in our Hot, Mild, or Inferno wing sauce. Hunters gather the snakes there's a contest for those capturing the largest ones and they're brought to the Nolan County Coliseum, where multiple parts of the snakes are harvested, Cumbie said. The two events are a marked contrast in how rattlesnakes are handled. Over three days, snake hunters bring in their catches (to make $5 a pound). Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a14f7458b5429f1 Theres even a pageant for local young women, Miss Snake Charmer. All rights reserved. //-->, Copyright FestivalNet 2022. Join Festivalnet.com now to unlock additional details,