Bucket list item. I have been wanting to go to this for over 20 years since I saw it on some documentary. Overall it was fun. I had so many questions before I went so I will do this Q&A style. Q: how far in advance do I need tickets? A: get them early - it appears to sell out and you CANNOT buy tickets at the venue. in 2020-2024 they were $20 each. Q: Is the arena all covered/shaded - best places to sit? A; It is all covered, but I imagine the sun does it hit some of the area as it moves. BUT bring sunscreen!! Best place to sit is in the middle, lower level. But there are prisoners locked away in section 30 - so being in section 31 would be fun right next to them - but that is just me maybe? Q: can you bring in your phone? A; YES! even though the website says you cannot, I called ahead and they said that you definitely CAN and that they had not updated the website. Q: How strict are they when you go into the prison about what you have, are wearing, etc. A; Pretty inconsistent, but we did bring the clear bag as instructed, but no one checked it and we had food in it (supposedly not allowed) - you don't even need ID, but bring small bills if you think you might be purchasing. There were some entrance lines that seemed stricter and did seem to make people leave some stuff out, so scope it out. Q: WHAT are the crafts? - A: YES, the crafts are pretty repetitive, and consist of mostly the following, LOTS of outdoor furniture (wooden chairs, rockers, tables), then woodcrafts like cutting boards and bowls. Also wood art and paintings, wooden trucks/toys, Lots of LSU and Louisiana themes. Belts. (see my photos) For example the cutting boards were about $30 - 45. Q: Are the prisoners out and about? - A: yes, fantastic people watching. I guess it makes sense there is a prisoner hierarchy. Some prisoners were just walking around, some had their family all around them and could give a rat's ass about selling their stuff, they were just visiting. Some prisoners had to sell their stuff from behind cages (a long skinny chain link fenced-in enclosure) - Those prisoners didn't have as many goods to sell either. I imagine if you are a good prisoner, you can MAKE more stuff, AND have more freedom at this thing to sell stuff out in the open (rather than from a cage). Q: is there food for purchase? A: yes, lots of it - but go for something they can just serve you - rather than having to make - we waited like 20 mins for a friggin corn dog. Get something premade like a tamale or jambalaya and you will be better off. - All the food was super reasonably priced - and it is made by prisoners I think, so I just had to turn off my inner food critic. Q: What's the parking like? A; We scoped it out and other recommended to park as far away as possible - closest to the exit, since it gets very jammed up when you leave and there is no directional help - every car for himself. Maybe plan to leave before it ends as I heard it is HELL if you stay until the end. Q: bathrooms? A: it varied, some were better than others, but none of them great. Q: how was the show? A: I have never really been to a rodeo and I was worried that it would be too much animal abuse. But it was fine, the prisoners seemed to get hurt far worse than the animals. (But the prisoners are wearing helpmeets and kevlar vests, so nothing bloody) read more

See all

I went to the Spring showing in 2025 with some friends. This was honestly on of the best shows I've ever seen. It was truly a delight. Between the crafts, food, and show it was a fantastic way to spend a weekend. I had a roast beef po-boy that was 10/10. It was refreshing and flavorful. They had a band near the food that rocked the stage. The food and desert options were amazing! If you want more populart items like the steak sandwich, I would get it early or they might run out. I also had a funnel cake that was a great treat on a hot day. The crafts were amazing! When I was there I vowed to save up and buy a dinning table and porch set when I got my own place and saved more money, so guess who is going back soon? The furnature was such good quality and worth the price in my opinion. It was also cool to talk to some of the inmates selling the wares. Finally the show was amazing! Like any rodeo, injury can still happen but they were prepared for that. The opening was very touching and the inmate who sang the national anthem was better than any celeberty. The show was a mix of talent, thrill, and tradition. For $20 dollars a ticket, you cannot beat the expirience! My only bad note would be getting out at the end. They don't close the craft section till 1 hour after the show ends and I would highly recommend taking another look through the crafts while letting people fight through the first wave of traffic. You won't leave the parking lot for two hours anyways, might as well chill for a bit lol! read more

One of, if not the oldest, longest running prisons in the US has a rodeo? That has been talked about by news outlets? And it is reasonably priced? And is in the largest penitentiary in the state of Louisiana? And has great food for sale and goods made by the inmates? I can't believe I have not made the choice to come before. There were just so many interesting things to look at. And while I did not understand all that was going on, it was an amazing experience and one I hope to do again. read more

See all

One of a kind event. Definitely worth going to. The rodeo runs from 1:00 p.m. to about 3:00 p.m., with inmate handicrafts available until 4:00 p.m. there was a lot of furniture there, mostly made out of pine, as well as leather work, paintings, and jewelry. Inmates get 75% of what they sell. Food was good and very reasonable for what you got. Sandwiches were $6 to $7, Pint bottles of water were $1, and they had slushies, (think blender margarita without alcohol) for $5, with $1 refills. Despite the location, it was a family atmosphere. Events were unusual compared to other rodeos.. in addition to bulldogging, Bullriding, and broncbusting, there were events like inmate poker, where a bull is released and four men pretend to play poker, last person sitting wins.. Inmate Pinball where inmates stand inside hula hoops and a bull is released, last inmate to run wins, and an event where inmates try to grab a poker chip duct taped to a bowl. Much more dangerous than anything you'll see at a regular rodeo, and you'll see some men tossed through the air if that's what you're willing to see. Note that all participants are volunteers who have five years of good behavior. Apparently it's a pretty coveted job, and inmates are allowed to practice as their job. Tips: 1. Avoid Sections 21-23 as they are in the susun (October). 2. Buy tickets in advance. You can either have them mailed or get them at will call. The line for will call can be a bit long so if you plan this in advance, that's your best bet. 3. The website threatens you with jail if you try to bring a cell phone in, but in conversation with a couple of Correctional Officers, this is not true. Although the answer is varied between one cell per person, or one per group.. phones are allowed. Wish I'd known that because I would have liked to have taken some pictures. 4. Traffic after the show is going to be monstrous. There isn't anyone directing traffic anyone directing traffic, although people were mostly polite and took turns. Still, it took us about 40 minutes to get to the highway....and we left about 4:00 p.m. we saw a bunch of other people leaving early. On the positive side, there is a State Trooper who blocks one lane between the exit Road and the highway, so traffic does not back up. read more

I enjoyed the rodeo. There are workers that help you park in an organized fashion but be warned, they do not help traffic on the way out and it is a huge mess to get out. There is one road 20 miles long (one way in and one way out) and traffic will back up. Do not sit in section 31 for the rodeo. You can NOT see the area where the animals/riders come out. If I come again I would sit in section 1-8 bc they have the best view of the show . It was definitely entertaining. Buy your tickets online, this event is popular and often sells out! I think things could be made to be nicer for the guests, the bathrooms were fairly disgusting. They only had bars of soap that multiple ppl put their hands on to wash. There is a clear bag policy and did not allow things like chapstick inside. There were many many booths with food and drinks for sale and a band playing live music There is plenty of woodwork for sale and you can only get inside to shop with rodeo tickets. You cannot come just to shop. They had SO many rocking chairs and things like bird houses, wood tables, etc. I would come again! read more

See all

The Rodeo itself was great. There was a lot of direction for parking when we arrived . When the rodeo was over, it was utter chaos. I did not see even one employee helping to direct traffic Out of the parking lot. It took over an hour to get out of lot to the highway. If you go, I recommend leaving the event early!! I for one will not do this again read more

First rodeo I've ever been to. Lots of art and food. Several neat events that were funny and fun to watch. read more

It's a rodeo unlike any other and one I will never forget. Here's an award winning documentary on it. http://oasisfilms.com/movie/six_seconds_of_freedom.php We made it for this last Sunday in October, and the final show of the 49th annual Angola prison rodeo. Inmate poker, guts and glory - it all deserved all the hype I had heard about. Every show is sold out. Some may consider some of the games barbaric, but this rodeo has given hardened maximum-security life-without-parole criminals a chance to do good for a community (their own) and to redeem themselves a bit. It was profoundly heartening to see the food fair, carnival and upbeat atmosphere created here. The prisoner run and produced art fair and products that go with the rodeo also were simply amazing, and showed that there is a lot of talent behind those bars. Make the trip if you can - all I know is I'll never view another rodeo like it. read more

See all

they sold out of entry tickets before the thing even started he online site is broken too it's saying the event alr ended when it starts at 1 like what ????? the bathrooms are nice tho read more

First tip is to get your tickets ahead of time online. The rodeo sells out and you will not be able to buy tickets the day of the event on site. The Angola rodeo is a stellar event. You never know what exactly to expect. These inmates have not practiced, they have not ridden bulls before! They wear protective helmets and Kevlar jackets, there are still some moments when I watched through my hand over my face. If you are easily offended by cornball humor, sexist Jokes and politically incorrect wisecracks, bring cotton balls for your ears. But whatever you do do not miss the Angola rodeo. There is artwork, wood crafts, furniture, barbecue pits and plants all crafted or made by the inmates. There is something for everyone here, or at least fun to look at. The concessions are numerous and offer good eats from burgers, gumbo, wings, cracklings, fried pig tails, taco salad, hero sandwiches, ice cream etc. But these concessions, operated by the inmates and their clubs and organizations, also run out of food rather quickly. So preview your choices and grab some before it's gone. read more

See all

5 stars (for Louisiana)... It's a rodeo... RUN by inmates. So yeah... It's interesting. Totally a once in a lifetime unique experience and I would go again tomorrow if I could. Food: all sorts of 'fried fair food', gumbo, jambalaya, ice cream, pulled pork, etc... Not the best food but hey it's a rodeo. It's equal to a state fair type food - although its CHEAP... Don't need to much money to feed the troops. Rodeo: pretty cool, inmates are not trained like a real rodeo... BUT watching a bull charge at a person with no fear cause the are in prison for life = entertaining. The rodeo part is only like 2/3 hours long so shop first so you don't miss anything. Shopping: CRAFTS / CRAFTS / CRAFTS... They have furniture (chairs / tables / BED frames / etc), paintings, jewelry, cheese boards, belts (tons of belts / wallets), and random stuff. Most of the "offenders" are walking around for you to talk too about their stuff, some are behind a cage and you talk through it to make your purchase... Don't worry you done give them the cash you give it to a cashier run by the prison. Safety: your safe - no worries... Although there is some colorful language more from other people at the rodeo then from the workers "offenders". Traffic: LEAVE EARLY!!! We sat in traffic 2 hours to get in, leaving was quicker... But getting in was hard. The gates open at 9am and rodeo was at 2, next time I would aim to have been there at 11 so we would of had time to shop (potentially load the car). End of story... GO EARLY AND ENJOY!!! read more

See all

I been six times. Yes you want to order tickets online. They are always making changes. We used to get a group photo with prison props but they did away with that. They now dont allow cell phones in the gate. So if I was getting someone a souvenir and they had to make a choice about it... forget being able to text or take a picture. Before if you arrived early you could park right up to the rodeo. Now they fill up the parking by the furthest away spots first. I dont like the new changes. I dont believe I'll be coming back. read more

Wow. This was a learning experience. The food vendors were great - we had a banana split and a sausage on bun. The number of items sold by the prisoners was huge - paintings, furniture, jewelry, leather. I wish there were more "true" arts and fewer Disney characters on items, but there were some gems. The rodeo was an experience I'll remember for life. You'll be told that all prisoners in the rodeo volunteer and look forward to participation. You will then see the prisoners risk their lives in activities like "Convict Poker." In addition to the prisoners, there were professional rodeo folks who were very entertaining. read more

Angola Prison Rodeo - Rodeo Near Me - Angola, Louisiana

See all

This is a great event to bring the family too. The arts and crafts by the prisoners are great to browse through. They really do have some great talent! There is a lot of different foods to choose from if you are hungry. The rodeo itself is fun! There are different events. My favorite event is where they try and play a game of poker and the bull charges at them while they try to see who can sit the longest. They also have wild horse riding, cow milking, barrel racing, guts and glory, and racing. Last year two women did all kinds of tricks on their horses and it was so cool. read more

Never in my life did I think I would ever go to a rodeo, much less a rodeo run by inmates most of whom are serving life sentences. I was a little apprehensive about the rodeo part and maybe the fact it was held in a maximum security prison, but I knew there would be food and shopping so yeah.... As we entered Angola, we tuned in to 91.7 (the prison operated radio station). By tuning in you can learn all about the prison and the many inmate ran organizations. This was our entertainment for the 20 minutes it took to get from the entrance of the prison to the parking lot. Once we enter the gates to the rodeo, we were hit with the smell of festival type food (hot dogs, cracklings, chicken tenders, pulled pork etc) you name it they probably had it...except for alcohol. After we grabbed something to eat, we wondered through all the handmade furniture, paintings and crafts galore. It is amazing how much talent comes out of a prison. On to the actual rodeo... to my surprise, it was so entertaining and kept my attention the whole 2 hours. It was hot and I was dressed for fall with jeans and boots to match the rodeo theme of course so I highly suggest checking the weather cause it felt like July not October when we went. My favorite event was the chariot racing. Men being dragged by a horse trying to keep water in their jug is priceless. When it came time to leave...one way in means one way out... so make sure you don't have anywhere to be after because it takes a while. Based on this is why I gave the rodeo a 4 instead of a 5. The traffic is real so bring your patience if you go. Overall, I highly highly suggest going to the Angola rodeo at least once! Even if you aren't the rodeo type like me I promise you will be surprised at how much you enjoy it! read more

The Angola Prison Rodeo has a lot of hype. A very polarizing event. Some say they love it, some say they write sad poetry at the thought of it. I, however, was trying to keep an open mind. By the end of the day, it felt like any other rodeo. First off, be wary of traffic to and from the event. The prison is off a one lane road that backs up on your way in and on your way out. Don't let this warning bring you down! There are plenty of locals selling their wares on your way, Boiled peanuts, why not? Deer horn knives, yes? Just pick those up on the way out...... After the complimentary cavity search (I kid), you park your car on the grassy knolls. Rather scenic sans the prison. Once you wander into the fairgrounds it seems like any other carnival/rodeo atmosphere; including, deep fried food vendors, pony rides, and pets for adoption (not going to lie spent a significant amount of time playing with dogs and cats). The main difference from your standard fair is the lack of booze, this doesn't mean B.Y.O.B. FYI, Larissa you're not in New Orleans anymore. Another attraction is the prison crafts. There are paintings, leather goods, glass etchings, and my personal favorite furniture! There are so many great pieces here I'm sad I didn't plan ahead and bring my pickup. I recommend spending at least an hour browsing all the different crafts. Ok, so you have you new gun cabinet and deep fried coke, what next? The rodeo! My favorite events included Bust Out, Bareback Riding, Bull Riding. Needless to say, all these events involve a some flank strap action. There are lots of ooohs and ahhhs, and the "Oh gosh that looked painful" (we're in god's country, don't take the lord's name in vain). You know, when I started writing this review it was three stars, but after reliving the rodeo heck I'll give it 4. read more

I never thought I'd review a rodeo on Yelp, much less a prison one, but here I am! My first impression of the grounds were that they were really well kept and decorated for fall. The rodeo itself was pretty entertaining and packed. There are also a lot of food stalls as well. Some food had sold out before the rodeo, so I would come and eat early. I did get to enjoy a bag of cracklin, which is not healthily, but it was very delicious. There is also a craft fair on the grounds as well. I didn't have a lot of time to browse but they had some wonderful art and wood work. I would return to this event if I were in town. I would also like to go and spend more time at the craft fair. Overall, this was a great experience! read more

We go every year! It's great fun for the family; perfectly safe for kids. We go to pick up unique and one-of-a-kind art work done by the inmates. I had a chance to stay at Angola over a weekend and meet with the inmates, including those on death row. The men that I shook hands with probably murdered someone and the amazing thing is to see how time, forgiveness and the power of Christ can rehabilitate a life. I spent two days with Warden Cain who has set the example of how to run a prison and make the system actually work. By giving these men dignity through the work program and events like the Angola Prison Rodeo, the bar has been set. If you have never been, you need to go and witness it for yourself. I don't know why the media (MSNBC) tries to show only the worst prisons... that is sad... why not show Angola? Other states need to emulate the work done here; it will change society in America. Some states have started doing this. (Texas, Georgia). The Angola Prison Rodeo should be on everyone's bucket list and if your like my family; go every year. read more

Angola Prison Rodeo - Front entrance to the Angola Prison - Rodeo Near Me - Angola, Louisiana

If you are going to purchase anything that the inmates make please take it with you...I purchased a grill and came back to pick it up and had to wait four freakin hours for them to bring it to the front gate..REALLY!!!! POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE! !!! read more

It started off a bit tricky. When we got there they announced "no drugs, no photos". We parked our car pretty far from the entrance since we were instructed to do so. When we walked up to the gate, guards went through my purse.They saw my camera so they sent me back to my car. I went all the way back and got rid of the camera and back to the gate again. This time they looked in my bag and saw that I had prescription blood pressure medicine. Again they sent me back to my car to get rid of it. (Not allowed to dispose of it at the prison). Then the 3rd time, the guards said no food allowed, no hand sanitizer and no phone chargers or ear phones. Of course I had all of those things. Other than all the setbacks with running back and forth to the car, we had a great time. The crafts were great. The rodeo was fun and even the food was tasty. We had a nice jambalaya and strawberry smoothie. Overall a fun time. read more

When we planned our trip to Louisiana ended up organizing our plans around making it to this rodeo. As a Canadian from SW Ontario, this rodeo was almost surreal. As we were there my interest in the prison grew and now I want to know so much more about the culture of the prison, and specifically how they've improved the morale of the prisoners in really life-affirming ways. The rodeo itself is pretty entertaining. The craft show and music and mingling with the inmates was fascinating. The only downside was the food. I love me some good fried food but it was too greasy for my tastes. Everything was so heavily deep fried I was left feeling starved for fresh fruits and veggies. But aside from the food (which is still interesting to see what they serve up in these parts of the USA), it was an amazing experience. read more