Courtesy of Jesse Hornbuckle/African American Museum, Dallas
Dust off those cowboy boots and buckles and giddy up to the 34th Texas Black Invitational Rodeo as the beloved event returns Saturday, July 29, at 7 p.m. at the Fair Park Coliseum (1438 Coliseum Dr., Dallas, Texas 75210). Doors open at 6 p.m., and the Grand Entry Parade begins at 6:30 p.m.
Presented by the African American Museum, Dallas, the family-fun rodeo features hundreds of African American cowboys and cowgirls competing for $25,000 in cash prizes in bronc and bull riding, calf and steer roping, barrel racing and a Pony Express relay race plus on-field kids activities, trick lasso performances, concessions, music and more.
Kicking off with the Grand Entry Parade at 6:30 p.m., this fast-paced evening also provides guests with a glimpse of the historical contributions that African Americans made in settling the western United States.
“The Texas Black Invitational Rodeo – which sold out early last year and draws around 8,000 attendees –is the perfect way to close out July,” said Dr. Harry Robinson, Jr., president and CEO of the African American Museum, Dallas. “And as exciting as the gritty competition is, the event also serves as a wonderful opportunity to tell the often-forgotten stories of Black cowboys and cowgirls who played a vital role in shaping the American West, especially here in Texas.”
Dr. Robert Ashley will serve as grand marshal.
The title sponsor is Turkey Leg King. Other sponsors are Boot Barn; Cavender's; Dallas Mavericks; Fair Park First; Frost Bank; Judge Martin Hoffman; HSC Brain & Health Study; OCA; Texas Rangers; Trinity Review Services, Inc.; University of Texas at Arlington; Visit Dallas; and Judge Staci Williams.
Media partners are NBC 5 and Telemundo, Majic 94.5 and 97.9 The Beat, and Texas Metro News, Garland Journal and I Messenger.
Season sponsors of the African American Museum, Dallas, are Atmos, Eugene McDermott Foundation, Fair Park First, Friendship West Baptist Church, Oncor, OVG360, State Fair of Texas, and the City of Dallas’ Office of Arts and Culture.
Rodeo tickets are $10 and $15, and VIP seats are $25 and $30 (plus applicable fees) at fairparktix.com. Tickets are also available at the museum and at the Coliseum the day of the event. (However, last year’s event sold out early.)
For more information, go to aamdallas.org.
About the African American Museum, Dallas. The African America Museum, Dallas was founded in 1974 as a part of Bishop College. The Museum has operated independently since 1979. For more than 40 years, the African American Museum has stood as a cultural beacon in Dallas and the Southwestern United States. Located in Dallas’ historic Fair Park, the African American Museum is the only museum in the Southwestern United States devoted to the collection, preservation and display of African American artistic, cultural and historical materials that relate to the African American experience. The African American Museum incorporates a wide variety of visual art forms and historical documents that portray the African American experience in the United States, Southwest, and Dallas. The Museum has a small, but rich collection of African art, African American fine art and one of the largest African American folk-art collections in the United States. Learn more at aamdallas.org.