Rodeo Every Friday Night: Summer in the Cowboy Capital
By Gordon Cook · June 11, 2026
Well, summer has officially settled in here at the Hideaway. The pool's getting plenty of use, the evenings have been clear enough to see the Milky Way right from the cabin porches, and the roads between here and Bandera are filling up with folks looking for a little Texas in their summer. If you're one of them, let me make your planning easy — because from now through the end of July, there's a rodeo every single Friday night about 15 minutes from our front gate.
Friday Night Rodeo, All Summer Long
The Ridin On Faith Summer Rodeo Series runs every Friday night through July 31 at the legendary Mansfield Park Arena in Bandera — the Cowboy Capital of the World. Broncs, bulls, barrel racing, team roping, and mutton bustin' for the little ones. This isn't some big-city production with overpriced parking. It's real rodeo, the way it's been done around here for generations: dirt, dust, cowboys, and a Friday night under the lights.
Folks ask us all the time, "When's the best time to visit Bandera?" This summer the answer is easy: pick a Friday. Any Friday.
This Saturday: Dinosaurs in the Cowboy Capital (June 13)
If you've got kids or grandkids, this weekend is a good one. The Bandera Natural History and Art Museum is celebrating 10 years with its Jurassic Jamboree on Saturday, June 13 — live music from Nick Zamora, animals from Happy Tails Exotic Zoo, horseback riding, a rock climbing wall, axe throwing, a bounce house, and a magic show. That museum is one of the hidden gems of the Hill Country, and this is the biggest day of their year.
How to Fill Out the Rest of Your Weekend
A Friday rodeo is just the start. Here's how the regulars do a Bandera weekend:
- Wednesday: Steak Night at the 11th Street Cowboy Bar. Bring your favorite cut and grill it yourself on a Texas-sized pit — baked potato, salad, and a roll included, with live music at the biggest little honky-tonk in Texas.
- Saturday: Wander Bandera's Main Street shops, or catch Market Days on the courthouse lawn when they're running.
- Sunday: A chuckwagon cowboy breakfast cooked over an open fire, with a horseback ride and cowboy songs to send you home right.
And mark your calendars: Bandera's 4th of July Parade is coming up fast, and the National Day of the American Cowboy lands on July 25. Both are worth planning a whole trip around.
Where to Stay (We Might Be a Little Biased)
Rooms in town fill up quick on rodeo nights. We're about 15 minutes away in Pipe Creek with 13 handcrafted log cabins, 10 full-hookup pull-through RV sites, and 9 cowboy campsites — close enough to be at the arena before the first chute opens, far enough out that when the rodeo dust settles, you've got quiet, a swimming pool, evening campfires, and some of the darkest skies in Central Texas.
Bring the dogs — we're pet-friendly with no pet fees, and no cleaning fees either. And we're the closest campground to the new Kronkosky State Natural Area, taking shape just down Highway 46 and on track to open this fall. More on that in a future post — folks, it's going to be something special.
Book direct on our website and use promo code FUN for 10% off when you stay 2 or more nights. Friday and Saturday nights are going quick this summer, so don't wait too long.
Hope to see you around the campfire — and maybe at the rodeo. We'll be the ones cheering loudest at the mutton bustin'.
Until then…
Happy Trails.
Be Safe & God Bless.
— Al