HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – It’s time to dust off your Western heritage gear (although wearing it anytime is totally allowed here) and make sure your cowboy boots are ready to take the spotlight as we celebrate the national holiday. 2026 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Watch live on ABC13 | Now until 11:30 am
The festivities kicked off from downtown Houston, where decorated floats, bands, floats, bikers and horses all set out for the parade on Walker Street at Bagby Street.
The parade will wrap around Travis Street, Bell Street, Louisiana Avenue, and Lamar Street before ending there in Bagby.
This year’s Grand Marshal is U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan.
Ruskan, 26, has performed numerous high-risk rescues, rescuing 165 children from raging waters during flash floods on Independence Day in the Texas Hill Country.
Ruskan continues active duty with the U.S. Coast Guard, supporting search and rescue operations across the Gulf Coast.
You can read more about Ruskan here.
Street closures
As with many downtown parades, many streets were closed.
The streets will reopen around 2pm after all events have concluded.
Parking
You may want to head to the public parking lots in the city center and theater district.
Keep in mind that each garage will have its own parking fees, which are also available to spectators.
Garages include: Alley Theater Garage, One Market Square Garage (Rodeo Mural), Lyric Center, and 1100 Smith Garage.
You can also use the parking lots available in Texas, Smith, Smith, Preston, Smith, Dallas, Smith, Clay, Walker, and Maine.
Tell me more about the show
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a tradition dating back to 1938, when the rodeo season was officially launched in the nation’s fourth-largest city.
ABC13 began televising the rodeo parade in 1959, using three cameras to broadcast the sights and sounds of the celebration to viewers across Southeast Texas.
Watch: The first broadcast of the rodeo on ABC13
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is held downtown every year, but do you know its origin story? Watch it above.
We have broadcast and live-streamed the show every year since, strengthening the long-standing relationship between ABC13 and RODEHOUSTON.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest livestock show and rodeo in the world.
This year, the rodeo will be held March 2-22, 2026.
Watch: Scenes from the 1966 rodeo in Houston
Can’t wait for the rodeo until February 28th? Watch the 2025 show below!
The Downtown Houston Rodeo Parade is a tradition dating back to 1938, and is the official launch of the rodeo season in the nation’s fourth-largest city.
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