The Rotary Club of Dripping Springs will host a community- wide Back-to-School Rotary Rodeo on Saturday, Sept. 7, from noon to 6 p.m. at Dripping Springs Distilling, 5330 Bell Springs Road. The family-friendly event is free and open to the public.
“This is our first year hosting this event, designed to entertain school-age children while offering plenty of activities for adults as well,' said event organizer Carissa Holmes, a local Realtor and first-year Rotarian. Holmes, a mother of two Cypress Springs Elementary students, added that the rodeo-themed event will feature both outdoor and indoor attractions. Holmes said the organizers hope to make this an annual event.
The Rodeo Retreat will offer guests free cold plunge pools and chair massages available for a fee. Stick horse races will be open to all ages, including adults. “We’ll also have roping demonstrations and a Photo Arena where you can have your photo taken with Cowboy Steve and his horse, or see a real live Longhorn steer,” Holmes said.
Attendees can shop at the indoor Trading Post, an air-conditioned vendor area that will also host a silent auction and the Craft Corral. The Art Garage will provide spin art sessions for kids, as well as coloring and crafting activities. Teddy Bear Mobile will also be at the event.
Kids and adults can enjoy the “Cast Into Class Experience,” presented by Central Texas Fishing Camp. This activity allows kids and adults to practice their target casting skills by attempting to cast a safety lure into buckets labeled with school subjects like math and science.
For those looking to relax indoors, the distillery’s restaurant and bar will be open, broadcasting college games throughout the afternoon. Younger guests can enjoy a Longhorn bouncy house or spend time in the children's playscape.
Food options include offerings from Pig Pen BBQ and SNOasis Shaved Ice. Proceeds from the event will benefit scholarships for Dripping Springs High School seniors.
The Rotary Club of Dripping Springs has awarded $1,000 to $2,000 scholarships to Dripping Springs High School seniors for over a decade, with hopes to quadruple that amount this year. “The positive community engagement so far has been encouraging,” Holmes said, noting while vendor spaces are filled there are sponsorship opportunities still available. With 16 vendors confirmed and more silent auction items being added, the event promises to be a lively afternoon for the whole family.
For more information about sponsorships or to donate silent auction items, contact Carissa Holmes at carissa. holmes@exprealty. com, or by calling her at 512-749-2280.
The Rotary Club of Dripping Springs is a nonprofit service organization whose motto is “Service Above Self.” The club supports community projects that serve youth, veterans, and families through service projects and fundraising efforts. The club sponsors the Dripping Springs H.S. Interact Club, which develops leadership development for high school students.
Local Rotarians and local high school students in the Rotary Interact Club, volunteer their time and labor cleaning roadside litter on RR 12, and service projects like the Burke House in Driftwood and Helping Hands Empty Bowls project. The Rotary hosts an annual dinner and dance for local veterans and their families and is a founding sponsor of the new Patriots’ Hall, built for veterans and their families. For more information about the Rotary Club, visit drippingspringsrotary. org.
