What is the Rodeo BBQ cook-off?
Officially it is the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, presented by Cotton Holdings, and it is where the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo season really begins. More than 250 cook teams set up across the NRG Park grounds to compete, and each team tent doubles as a private party for its members and guests.
It is not the same as the Rodeo itself. The contest takes the long weekend before the stadium performances start, overlapping with Go Texan Day and the Downtown Rodeo Parade, so your calendar that week can carry three different events.
When is the 2027 BBQ cook-off, and what are the hours?
Saturday asks the most of a driver. Downtown streets close from about 8:30 a.m. for the parade and the Rodeo Run and reopen around 2 p.m., so a guest coming from a downtown hotel that morning needs a route around the closures.
| Day | Grounds open | What else is happening |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, February 25 | 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. | Opening night, after work for most guests |
| Friday, February 26 | Noon to 11 p.m. | Go Texan Day; the Rodeo Roundup downtown at Hermann Square, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; trail riders arrive at Memorial Park |
| Saturday, February 27 | 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. | Downtown Rodeo Parade at 10 a.m.; Contest Awards at The Garden Stage, 7 p.m. |
Can you get into the tents without an invitation?
Mostly, no. The Rodeo itself says most team tents are invitation-only, and each tent controls entry with its own wristband. Visitors on local forums put it bluntly: you cannot buy a ticket to a tent party.
What a general admission ticket does buy is real: The Garden Stage with live Texas country acts at the center of the grounds, the Rockin’ Bar-B-Que Saloon with music and an outdoor patio, the Chuckwagon with a complimentary plate of sliced brisket, beans and chips, and the Carnival (rides and games cost extra).
Companies and associations that want their own tent go through the Rodeo’s tent permitting process, and cook teams follow an official team handbook and contest rules. If you are a host, your transport question is less about the gate and more about moving guests in and out over three evenings.
| Ticket | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, 13 and older | $30 | Includes the Chuckwagon plate and Carnival entry, not rides |
| Child, 3 to 12 | $10 | Age 2 and under free |
| Grounds Season Pass | $65 | Does not include stadium Rodeo or concert seats |
Planning rides for a team tent or a corporate guest list
Tent nights work in waves. Some guests arrive straight from work on Thursday, others come for Saturday’s awards, and a few stay until the grounds close at 11 p.m. Plan the vehicles around those waves rather than one big departure.
- Name one adult as the ride captain for each vehicle, the person our chauffeur texts.
- Send the tent name for your itinerary; pickup uses the official zone confirmed for contest day.
- Decide the last pickup time in advance; 11 p.m. closing means a crowd at the exits.
- If you are hosting clients, ask for an invoice to the company rather than a personal card.
| Who is going | How many | Suggested vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| A host and a client couple | 2 to 3 | S-Class (3) for the client, or an Executive Sedan (3) |
| A small tent group | 4 to 6 | One Escalade (6) or one Suburban (6) |
| A department or sponsor table | 7 to 13 | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (13) |
| A company night or a team’s full guest list | 14 to 34 | Mini Coach (24), Coach (34) or a party bus, each quoted on request |
| Guests arriving at different times | Any size | Two smaller vehicles on staggered schedules instead of one large one |
Where do cars drop off for the cook-off?
For the Rodeo season, the published zone for limousines and private buses is the Green Lot, Gate 13, off Lantern Point Drive, separate from the rideshare area at the east end of Yellow Lot 35. During the Rodeo season that space is limited and first come, first served. We confirm the zone for contest days before your ride.
If anyone in your group plans to drive in, Reliant Park notes there is no in-and-out parking during the contest. Once the car is parked, it stays parked, which is one more reason to consider being dropped off.
For lot prices, park and ride and rail, see our NRG Stadium parking guide.
A planned ride home after a late night
The grounds close at 11 p.m., and the gate goes cashless from 9 p.m. each night. Satellite shuttle lots run their own last buses, so a group that stays to the end can find its options narrowing just as everyone wants to leave.
With a chauffeured hourly booking, no member of the group is assigned to drive home, and the group leaves together from an agreed point instead of scattering into the rideshare queue.
If any rider is a minor, nobody in the vehicle drinks. Otherwise drinks are only for adults 21 and older, under the operator’s rules for that vehicle. The adult holding the booking stays reachable by phone for the evening.
How much does a cook-off ride cost?
Choose 3, 4 or 5 hours from your own arrival and departure times; longer nights are quoted by text. On our current rate card, the hourly price is the same for pickups in any of our Houston service areas (Downtown, Galleria, the Texas Medical Center, IAH, Hobby, The Woodlands, Katy and Sugar Land), and 5 hours is $425.00 for a Chevrolet Suburban, $625.00 for a Cadillac Escalade and $625.00 for a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Longer nights, coaches and multi-vehicle tent plans are quoted by text.
Stretch limousines, SUV limos and party buses come from our partners and are quoted on request. Cook-off requests are confirmed within 15 minutes around the clock, and se habla español.
Vehicles we can send
Representative vehicle Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Representative vehicle Executive Sedan
Representative vehicle Cadillac Escalade
Representative vehicle Chevrolet Suburban
Representative vehicle Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
- Group vehicle
Mini Coach
Up to 24 guests.
72-hour notice and a 50% deposit
Quoted by text
- Group vehicle
Coach
Up to 34 guests.
72-hour notice and a 50% deposit
Quoted by text
- Partner vehicle
Party bus
From our partners. Sized to your group.
Price on request
- Partner vehicle
SUV limo
Escalade or Hummer, from our partners.
Price on request
Hourly prices are for any pickup in the Houston area, 3-hour minimum. We confirm the exact vehicle in writing. Coaches, mini coaches and stretch limousines need 72 hours’ notice and a 50% deposit, collected when the booking is confirmed.