In 2021, the Sweetwater Roundup caught 3,682 pounds of rattlesnakes. Its the biggest event in this town every year, Cumbie said. Visitors and news crews from around the nation and the globe frequently are seen perusing the snake pits at Nolan County Coliseum. Full hindquarter, seasoned and grilled. . There will be live music on Fri. and Sat. This year, however, so many snakes were rounded up that there's hardly a market for selling. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a14f7458b5429f1 We also butcher about 1,000 pounds of them each year that we actually cook on the spot., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. All rights reserved. The two events are a marked contrast in how rattlesnakes are handled. 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. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has expressed concerns about how it couldimpact other species that share their habitat. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. Children watched in awe as handlers tipped buckets of venomous snakes into a writhing pit. 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.The Sweetwater Rifle & Pistol Club Gun, Knife and Coin Show. Rattlesnakes are fascinating, beautiful, but often feared and misunderstood creatures. Come join the fun and check it out. 64th Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater March 11-13, 5:00-10:00 carnival - $35 all day pass (carnival rides only) or $100 all weekend pass (carnival only), 7:00 PM Miss Snake Charmer Pageant at Municipal Auditorium 201 E 4th Street - adult ticket $10, student ticket $5, Tickets prices: adults $10, active/retired military $5 with valid ID, children 5-12 $5, children 4 and under free, 9:00-6:00 Sweetwater rifle and Pistol Club Gun, Knife, and Coin Show with $5 entry, children 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult, 8:00-5:00 Sweetwater Lions Club Flea Market, 10:00 Guided Snake Hunts - Must sign up prior and must have valid hunting license, 2:00PM - 12:00 AM Carnival - $35 all day pass for rides and tickets $1, 9:00-6:00 Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club Gun, Knife, and Coin Show with $5 entry, children 12 & under free when accompanied by an adult, 10:00AM - 12:00 AM Carnival - $35 all day pass for rides or tickets $1, 8:00 PM Dance at the Jaycee Barn at 307 W 4th Street - $20 per person and cooler charge $5 small $10 large, 4:00 Longest Snake Contest and Most Pounds Entered Awards, 9:00-5:00 Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club Gun, Coin, and Knife Show - $5 entry fee, children 12& under free when accompanied by an adult, 10:00AM-8:00PM Carnival - $35 day pass for carnival rides or tickets $1. He's the chairman of the milking pit, where venom is extracted and then used to develop various drugs for a range of illnesses. Heads are pickled in jars complete with exposed fangs, while the flesh is chopped into nuggets and deep fried. They are also the victims of the largest public slaughter of native wildlife in the United States. Thursday March 11, 2021 4:30 pm Rattlesnake Parade5:00 pm-10:00 pm CarnivalAll day pass - $30.00 (all you can ride) Carnival onlyWeekend pass $60.00 (sold only on Thursday) Carnival onlyTicke Then came perfect weather for the one-day Georgia show, and there were no complaints whatsoever, he 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. 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. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. We probably had more actual snakes there this year, even though it was a different format than what weve had.. Hunters gather the snakes theres a contest for those capturing the largest ones and they are brought to the Nolan county coliseum, where multiple parts of the snakes are harvested, Cumbie said. Activists hope that change such as those made by the Whigham Rattlesnake Roundup will inspire others to follow in their. (Brisket, Pork Spare Ribs, Chicken, Chili). The World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup takes place in Sweetwater, Texas, every year. 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 An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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. 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. Windy with lots of sunshine. It began 64 years ago to keep snakes from overtaking the town and attacking livestock, pets and people, organizers say. Click to reveal Sweetwater, The move ends Georgia's inhumane rattlesnake roundup legacy. 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. The festival has been criticized by animal rights and environmental groups for the way the snakes are rounded up using gasoline fumes to drive them from their dens. He told the Abilene Reporter-News: "We welcome that. The snakes skins will eventually show up on cowboy boots, belts and other western wear. Begun in 1958 as a means for controlling the rattlesnake population in the area, the roundup has become a major annual driver for the Sweetwater economy. Our feature-length documentary, Rounding Up Sweetwater, will debunk both the pseudo-science used to justify roundups as well as negative stereotypes about rattlesnakes used to demonize them. But no such changes are occurring at a huge rattlesnake roundup beginning this weekend in Texas, a festival that the activists say is barbaric. Rounding Up Sweetwater. Cookerregistration is $80 or $25 ea. 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 March 25. The two events are a marked contrast in how rattlesnakes are handled. The city's farmers and ranchers rose and banded together to eradicate rattlesnakes. For Sweetwater, the festival brings in a reported $8.3 million for the town. 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. This does put us on the map, she said. Served with ranch or blue cheese and celery. (Courtney Sacco/Odessa American via AP, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Make sure to contact Nancy High at (325) 236-5460 if you are . 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. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Depending on the weather, or even a pandemic, the towns population beginning Friday could swell from about 11,000 to nearly 40,000 through Sunday. "We certainly haven't made the population extinct by any stretch of the imagination. In Texas, the Sweetwater roundup is intertwined with the town's culture and draws visitors from all over the world. The event is a fundraiser for local youth programs. 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. Go here to update it. marketplace | privacypolicy | contactus, Sweetwater Jaycees World's Largest Rattlesnake Round Up, Thu 4:30pm9pm, Fri 8am5pm, Sat 8am6pm, Sun 8am5pm, 1699 Cypress Street, Sweetwater, TX 79556. Sweetwater Jaycees Announce Rattlesnake Roundup Media Day; City Council Hears . "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. Animal rights activists praised an annual rattlesnake roundup in south Georgia that recently changed the format of this months event to celebrate living snakes without skinning and butchering them. Emergency crews responding to southwest Lubbock apartment fire, Woman trapped in vehicle after crash on I-27 involving semi, Semi crash on South Loop leaves one person moderately injured, Noon Notebook: LFR to participate in 48-marathon, Noon Notebook: 34th annual Mayors' Beans & Cornbread Luncheon, Tell Me Something Good - Wednesday, March 1. 70% payback. Everybody was nervous about it and didn't know how it would go," Cox said. Rattlesnake Bites: $10 We flash freeze the meat from our Rattlesnake Roundup, season, batter, and deep fry it to a golden brown. Roundup visitors will see educational programs about the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake common to West Texas, as well as watching handlers milk the snakes of their venom. FILE -Sweetwater Jaycees clean and skinned rattlesnakes during 57th. 2023 www.reporternews.com. 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. The 63rd World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup - which also sees the crowning of a Miss Snake Charmer beauty queen - went ahead after the state lifted virtually all Covid restrictions last week. But on the first weekend after Easter, they become a platform for this tough annual raceThe Waynoka Rattlesnake Hunt. Historically, the first rattlesnake Roundup kicked off in 1958, at Sweetwater, Texas, U.S. There's even a pageant for local young women, Miss Snake Charmer. Cumbie is the chairman of the milking pit, where venom is extracted and then used to develop various drugs for a range of illnesses. 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. In Texas, the Sweetwater roundup is intertwined with the towns culture and draws visitors from all over the world. The snakes' skins will eventually show up on cowboy boots, belts and other western wear. Box 1148 Sweetwater, Texas 79556; 325-235-5488; 800-658-6757; Stay In Touch . . There's literally no waste, he said. The snakes skins will eventually show up on cowboy boots, belts and other western wear. Courtesy photo The Sweetwater Jaycee's famed Rattlesnake Roundup is set for March 11-14 at Nolan County Coliseum, where just west of Abilene this weekend, scores of snake wranglers will risk a . FILE -Sweetwater Jaycees clean and skinned rattlesnakes during 57th Sweetwater Jaycees World Largest Rattlesnake Round-up at the Nolan County Coliseum in Sweetwater Texas, March 14, 2015. McCann said: "If someone could come up with a better way of killing rattlesnakesso we can keep doing our event, then please come teach me. 2022, at the Rattlesnake Roundup Grounds in Whigham. Restrooms and free warm showers are available. Rattlesnake roundups take 2 different approaches, drawing praise and scorn. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. Besides renewables, Sweetwater is also known for hosting special events that attract tourists. Depending on the weather, or even a pandemic, the town's population. If its the second weekend in March, that means its time for the Worlds Largest Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater. Rattlesnakes are fascinating, beautiful, but often feared and misunderstood creatures. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Thousands of rattlesnakes are bagged up to be put on display in the snake pits. Our feature-length documentary, Rounding Up Sweetwater, will debunk both the pseudo-science used to justify roundups as well as negative . This is a major attraction that people from all over the world come to for the 2nd full weekend in March every year. Rattlesnake Roundup Parade March 10, 2022. The 64th Sweetwater Jaycees World's Largest Annual Rattlesnake Roundup is this weekend. 1 seriously injured in rollover on South Loop near Quaker Ave. 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. Plans for the Worlds Largest Rattlesnake Roundup this weekend in the Texas town of Sweetwater are full-steam ahead, with snakes set to be skinned and others milked of their venom. Yes, were the rattlesnake town, they would say. The town of 11,000 is expected to swell to around 30,000 during the festival that runs Friday through Sunday, said Dennis Cumbie, one of the organizers. While 24,262 pounds of rattlesnakes were bought at the expo in Sweetwater, there were still about 75,000 pounds of rattlesnakes left over, as reported by the . Drawing praise and scorn and scorn Rattlesnake roundups take 2 different approaches, praise. 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