Picture it: horse-drawn buggies, a Wrangler-style breakfast, and a whole lot of cattle making their way through historic Houston Street — we’re taking a step back into the old Wild West.
The Western Heritage Parade & Cattle Drive will take place this Sat., Feb. 5 to commemorate Texas western heritage + celebrate the kick off to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.
While you may still be wondering how many cattle actually roam in the heart of the Alamo City, we thought we would break down some numbers + share a snapshot of what you can expect at this year’s event.
The 2007 inaugural parade began with:
- 35 head of cattle
- 60 parade participants
- 5,000 spectators
Now, in its 14th year, the old western celebration has grown to:
- Over 100 head of cattle roaming Houston Street
- 50+ sheep
- 500+ horses
- 1,000 parade participants
- 75,000 attendees
Before the parade you can enjoy:
- Wrangler Breakfast | 9 a.m.-noon | Free | Experience an old west breakfast with biscuits, gravy, sampling + vendor booths on Santa Rosa St. between Houston Street and Commerce St.
- Stampede 5K Run/Walk | 9:30 a.m.| $45 | The race kicks off the Western Heritage Parade & Cattle Drive — the deadline to register is Fri., Feb. 4.
The main event:
- The parade will start at 11 a.m. at I-35 + Houston Street and end at the Alamo.
- A few parade participants include the Fort Hood 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Sam Houston Caisson, and Texas Heritage Riders.
- If you can’t catch the event in person, you can watch it live on KSAT-12 or online.
After the parade:
- Vaquero Cook-Off | 8 a.m.-11 p.m. | Historic Market Square | Free | Enjoy some of the traditional staples of the vaqueros from the 1800s including Cook’s Choice (a traditional Mexican dish), chili, and Menudo.
We hope you have a yee-haw good time and make sure to tag us in your photos on Instagram.
