San Antonio is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its annual Rattlesnake Festival with a two-day extravaganza this weekend.

  • Rattlesnake Festival celebrated 50 years
  • Two day festival is family-friendly fun
  • Continues Sunday, October 15, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The festival offers snake educational lectures, wooden gopher races, crafts and food for the whole family. Activities kicked off at 8 a.m. Saturday with the annual five-mile and one-mile runs.  

For newbies and frequent attendees both, it's hard to pick just one favorite part.

“The kettle corn is a big hit, the pony rides are a big hit and the barrel train you see riding around, the kids just love that, so just all of it, there’s just so much action going on,” San Antonio Rotary Club Treasurer Terrie Grissom said.

Volunteer Nick Steiert has been coming to the festival since he was a young boy.

"The great thing was that I knew when the rattlesnake festival came in a few more days my birthday was coming,” Steiert said. “I loved it. It was like a pre-birthday for me."

One of his favorite memories is of the gopher races.

"I was racing the gophers and the girl I was dating at the time gave me a kiss and on the way back home, dad goes 'Son, it’s okay you got a kiss, but you’re a little too young.' I said 'it’s for good luck dad!'” Steiert said.

The festival continues Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.