In Fort Worth, it isn’t enough to just ride a bull — you’ve got to prove your worth by taking a bite out of something you’d never want to bite you.
On Saturday, Sept. 27, the Fort Worth Stockyards will once again host one of the city’s most audacious culinary competitions: the now infamous “Rattle Battle,” a rattlesnake cook-off presented by TX Whiskey and curated by celebrity chef Tim Love. Now in its third year, the event has quickly grown into the centerpiece of the Ariat Texas Rattlers’ annual homestand, “Rattler Days,” a three-day festival that braids together professional bull riding, cowboy heritage, and the kind of swaggering food culture that defines what Cowtown is all about.
The premise is simple, if not a little wild: fifteen of the region’s best chefs take the most notorious meat in Texas — rattlesnake — and attempt to turn it into something unforgettable. Guests graze from table to table, tasting each entry before voting for their favorites. The top three advance to a final judging round, where a panel of celebrity judges crowns the 2025 champion. The winner doesn’t just walk away with bragging rights, but with the three-foot-tall rattlesnake trophy that’s become as much a local icon as the team’s mascot Fang.
“Every year I get more excited to see how far these chefs will push the boundaries,” Love says. “Rattlesnake isn’t easy to work with, and that’s the point. It takes a bold and thoughtful approach to make something truly memorable. That’s why this event belongs in Fort Worth, and why it’s become one of the weekends I look forward to most all year.”
The “Rattle Battle” is the culinary twin to the grit unfolding at Dickies Arena during Rattler Days. The Ariat Texas Rattlers will defend their home dirt September 26–28 against nine other bull riding teams. Under head coach Cody Lambert — a legend in the sport — the Rattlers have carved out a reputation for dominance, pairing a championship-caliber roster with the kind of fan base you only find in Fort Worth.
For Chad Blankenship, the team’s president, the food festival is as essential to that identity as the arena action. “We’re thrilled with the way North Texas has embraced our team and this event,” he said. “Partnering with Chef Tim Love and showcasing the incredible culinary talent of our city is part of what makes Rattler Days so special. Thanks to this community, the Rattlers are building something lasting here, through our championship bull riding team in this region we’re proud to call home.”
New this year, fans can choose between two tiers: VIP tickets at $150, which include early entry, unlimited tastes, and an open bar stocked with TX Whiskey cocktails and Deep Ellum brews; or General Admission at $50, which offers unlimited tasting and access to a cash bar.
The event is slated for 12–2:30 p.m. on Sept. 27, just after the Stockyards parade and hours before the Rattlers retake the arena that evening.
In the span of just a few years, Rattler Days has transformed into more than a sports weekend. It’s a Fort Worth ritual. The city fills with parades, live music, community events, and cowboy pageantry, while the bull riders square off inside Dickies Arena. The rattlesnake cook-off is its natural complement — dangerous, defiant, and uniquely Texan.
For Fort Worth, it’s another chance to show the world what the city has long known about itself: grit and grace belong together, whether you’re watching a cowboy stay on for eight seconds or a chef coax flavor from the most infamous meat in the state.
The 2025 Rattle Battle Lineup
- Ernest Morales + Chris Magallanes — Panther City BBQ
- Preston Paine — Emilia’s
- Rodrigo Cárdenas — Don Artemio Mexican Heritage
- Antonio Votta — Bowie House
- Alessandro Salvatore — Bocca Osteria
- Christian Lehrmann — Tinies, Side Saddle Saloon
- Taylor McCreary — Tannahill’s Tavern
- Rene De Leon — Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, FW
- Zach Lewis — Ático Fort Worth
- Kemel Rodriguez — Paloma Suerte
- Grant Morgan — 97 West
- Marcus Kopplin — The Duchess at The Nobleman
- Patrick Ru — Teddy Wongs
- Juan Rodriguez — Magdalena’s
- Ryan Cychol — Dickies Arena