Angola Prison Rodeo

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Sports & AdventureAngola
DatesDates TBA · Usually AprilCheck locally before booking
Duration2 daysListed event span
Crowd-Public scale varies
Best forCompetition, enduranceFew American events raise the ethical
LanguageLocal language; English access variesCurrency: USD
CategorySports & AdventureFestival type
The story

Angola Prison Rodeo in Angola

The Angola Prison Rodeo, staged inside the Louisiana State Penitentiary since 1965, is the longest-running prison rodeo in the United States. Held one weekend each April and every Sunday in October, it features inmate rodeo contestants competing in events including the notorious convict poker alongside a semiannual arts and crafts festival selling prisoner-made work.

The Louisiana State Penitentiary, known as Angola after the former slave plantation whose land it occupies, is the largest maximum-security correctional facility in the United States, and its prison rodeo began informally in 1964 when inmates and staff backed pickup trucks into a field to ride and rope for their own entertainment.
Your trip starts here
What is special

The part that makes it specific.

01

The place changes

Few American events raise the ethical questions this one does: incarcerated men, most receiving no formal rodeo training, compete for cash prizes as low as their prison wages make even small winnings meaningful, in events critics have compared to gladiatorial spectacle, most notably convict poker, in which a bull is released specifically to unseat inmates seated around a card table

02

The mystery stays covered

The rodeo also funds religious and educational programming for prisoners and showcases a genuinely significant arts and crafts festival of inmate-made work, giving the event a complicated dual character as both a controversial spectacle and a documented source of prisoner-benefiting revenue

Traditions & symbols

The language of the festival.

What moves first

Living ritual

Convict poker

Water and renewal

Living ritual

in which four inmates sit at a table in the arena while a bull is released with the aim of unseating them

The sacred route

Living ritual

remains the rodeo's most notorious and closely associated event

The local code

Living ritual

run alongside standard rodeo events and the concurrent arts and crafts festival that has operated since shortly after the rodeo first opened to outside spectators

Before you go

Essential information

When to go

Dates TBA · Usually April

Getting around

Base the route around Angola, then leave extra time for temporary streets, queues or late return traffic.

What to wear

Follow the Louisiana State Penitentiary's visitor dress and security guidelines closely, since this is an operating maximum-security prison; casual, modest clothing is standard, and visitors...

Safety

For Angola Prison Rodeo, choose safe viewing points, watch weather and leave extra time around starts, finishes or releases.

Where to stay

Base yourself where the last trip of the day stays easy, especially if Angola Prison Rodeo runs late.

Tickets/cost

Check official or local sources for ticketed areas, paid stands, and same-year access rules.

Language/currency

USD

Family friendly

unknown

Interactive map41.63 N, 85.00 WOpen in Google Maps

Angola, LA

Nearest airportGRR — Gerald R. Ford
TransportBase the route around Angola, then leave extra time for temporary streets, queues or late return traffic.
Stay areaBase yourself where the last trip of the day stays easy, especially if Angola Prison Rodeo runs late.

Your Trip Starts Here

External travel services to turn the plan into a trip — each opens in a new tab.

How to get thereRoutes, times and prices to Angola via local transport.Search routesFind a place to stayStays near Angola, close enough for the event-day route.Browse staysFind flightsCompare fares into the nearest practical airport for April.Compare faresFestival gearFollow the Louisiana State Penitentiary's visitor dress and security guidelines closely, since this is an operating maximum-security prison; casual, modest clothing is standard, and visitors should expect security screening comparable to other correctional facility visits.Shop the kitCheck visa requirementsSee whether you need a visa for United States and apply online.Check entry rulesTravel insuranceCover for trip hiccups, gear and health on the road.Get covered

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FAQ

Quick answers.

When is Angola Prison Rodeo?

Angola Prison Rodeo is listed for Past edition: 18–19 April 2026. Always re-check the official or local source close to travel.

Where does Angola Prison Rodeo take place?

The festival is listed in Angola, United States. The map coordinate is a planning reference, not a guarantee of a ticket gate or exact venue.

How long should I plan for?

2 days is the listed festival span. Add time for arrival, local transport, queues, and any route changes during the event.

Is a source linked?

Official source linked. Eventisimus separates source confidence from travel suggestions, so check final details before booking.

Where exactly is it?

Angola, LA

Is it family friendly?

unknown

Sources and editorial review

About this guide

This guide is independently written by Eventisimus using publicly available information, official event and organiser sources where available, local tourism references, and additional editorial research. Eventisimus is not the official organiser of this festival and is not affiliated with it unless explicitly stated.

Festival dates, schedules, ticket conditions, access rules, and local arrangements can change. We aim to present useful and accurate information, but travelers should confirm important details with the official event source before booking transport, accommodation, or tickets.

Found something inaccurate or outdated? Email hello@eventisimus.com with the festival page link and the correction.

Official URLangolarodeo.com
Organizer accessAre you the organizer? Claim this listing →
SourceSource link available
Listed datesDates TBA · Usually April
Source statusOfficial source linked
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