City of Opp hosts 65th annual Rattlesnake Rodeo
OPP, Ala. (WAKA ) – The Rattlesnake Rodeo is a unique tradition thrown every year by the city of Opp, and this year’s was nothing short of special.
The highlight of the show is the dozens of wild rattlesnakes caught every year to be used in the rodeo.
Guests filled the bleachers just to catch a glimpse of the snake races and shows which are all handled by trained professionals.
“I read about the event before I came so everything I’ve seen I’ve expected to see. My favorite part has been the snake show, the handling, being close to them and just seeing them up close,” said Jon McGill. This was his first year ever attending the rodeo.
There were also tons of activities for the non-snake lovers including dozens of craft and food vendors to browse through, kids activities, river dancing competitions, a petting zoo and musical performances by country music stars Trace Adkins and Neal McCoy to seal the night.
The rodeo attracts thousands of people across the country each year, putting a big spotlight on the city of Opp.
“The thing about the Opp community is we come together for this because there are so many people that come to Opp. It puts a lot of people out of their normal routine in Opp, and they’re very gracious about it. They understand that it’s important to the city, and it helps put us on the map. The citizens of Opp have just been wonderful about it. The city’s been great to work with. It’s just been a good experience,” said Jay Mikel, a MC and handler for the rodeo.
For more information about this year’s rodeo, you can visit their website.
