Come join us for the fun!
There is something for everyone.
From Pelham Park to downtown Bowie, the fun and excitement of Jim Bowie Days Rodeo & Celebration fills our community with the Western spirit. Put on your cowboy hat and boots and get involved. Some of the events include a bass tournament out at Lake Amon Carter, a frog jumping contest, a quilt show, Indian artifact show, downtown parade, mutton bustin, a Rodeo Queen Contest, food, music and, of course, every night there is some type of rodeo event. Then finally ending the week with rodeo dance at the Bowie Community Center.
Are you ready for Rodeo?
The Jim Bowie Days Rodeo is one of the largest amateur rodeos in Texas.
Events every day! Sunday is the Bass Tournament at 6:00AM. On Monday there will be Expos at 5:30PM & the Barrel Race at 7:30PM. The Youth Rodeo – Speed Events will be held on Tuesday at 7:00PM. The following day, Wednesday, the Youth Rodeo – Roping Events will take place at 7:00PM. Friday the 23rd will be the 42 Tournament at 9:00AM and the Pioneer Reunion & Royalty at 2:30PM. Saturday there will be the Indian Artifacts Show at 9:00AM, Jim Bowie Days Parade at 10:00AM, Quilt Show at 10:00AM, Hamburger Feed at 11:00AM, Kidde Pet Parade at 12:00PM, Free Swim at 1:00PM, Terrapin Racing at 1:00PM, Frog Jumping at 1:30PM, & the DANCE after the rodeo.
Grand Marshalls
Grand Marshalls
Find out more about the History of the Grand Marshalls of the Jim Bowie Days Parade!
The Masked Rider
The Masked Rider
Who is that masked man? It is the Texas Tech Masked Rider! He will be riding in the Grand Entry on Saturday Night.
Schedule of Events
Did you know?
The Jim Bowie Days Rodeo, Parade, and Festival were thought of by several area businessmen during an early morning coffee break at the local Bowie drug in 1967. These men wanted to bring folks to Bowie and began exchanging ideas. Along with groups such as the Jim Bowie Saddle Club, who was the driving force behind the rodeo for the event, and the Bowie Chamber of Commerce, it has become one of the most popular festivals in the North Texas area. But, unlike festivals of today, the Jim Bowie Days Festival had literally no money or sponsors. What you see today is the result of small town community, ingenuity and plain ol’ hard work of good hearted and generous volunteers! This handful of businessmen began knocking on doors and talking at every club or group in small cattle town. The result was the first Jim Bowie Days held in 1967 with a festival, parade and rodeo complete with the first Miss Jim Bowie Days being chosen from 18 contestants. The Jim Bowie Days Rodeo Association continues to knock doors in order to carry on the tradition of those first ideas. Ref: Hill, Shirley., “Best Kept Secret: Jim Bowie Days” Yahoo! Contributor Network, retrieved 2013-02-04
Welcome to Bowie, Texas!
Bowie is a quiet city of 5,500, located in the crossroads of U.S. Highway 287, U.S. Highway 81 and Texas Highway 59, in Southwest Montague County. The local settlers had been in the area since the early 1860’s and when the Fort Worth and Denver Railway was built through the area in 1882, the settlers began to move to the construction camps and businesses appeared in canvas tents. A town site was established on August 15th, 1882 and a post office to be named James Bowie was applied for. Bowie became a market and financial center for farmers and ranchers between Fort Worth and Wichita Falls. According to Texas history, in 1885 it had a population of 1,000; three hotels, a bank, a weekly newspaper, schools, and a number of churches. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway came to Bowie in 1893, and by 1900 the community had an estimated 2,600 residents. Bowie is now the largest city in Montague County. Ref: David Minor, “BOWIE, TX,” Handbook of Texas Online