  Let's all hear it for the rattlesnake - Hooray, Hooray!" - Sweetwater Jaycees
Well, okay - it's a bit of a slimy subject; a rattling event with venomous conclusions. Call it what you will, but the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup is the largest reptilian event of its kind, and like the snakes around Sweetwater, it seems to be growing larger every year.
 We're talkin' parades, crowning of the Queen Snakecharmer, snake dancers, live music, Texas barbecue, lectures and seminars, snake cook-off, arts & crafts with a reptilian twist, snake handling - everything related to the Texas diamondback rattlesnake - a fitting event in a town where the snakes can outnumber the local residents.
"Life is sweet in Texas," and Sweetwater serves up plenty of good ol' Texas hospitality when snake enthusiasts converge each year on this historic community located between Abilene and Big Spring. The Sweetwater Jaycees sponsor the annual event which has grown steadily down through the years.
But why a snake hunt? Well, there's more than one answer to that question, an answer that keeps evolving as the years go by.
Some would tell you that the annual snake hunt was an event designed to cut back on the number of rattlesnakes. Others would argue that a snake hunt just seemed like a good idea to get the community outdoors in the winter to share a little quality time with neighbors and visitors.
But the truth is, science is discovering that the diamondback rattlesnake, like other creatures of nature, plays an important role in the process of life and evolution, and this annual event honors the belly crawler as a natural member of the natural community. For one, rattlesnakes love to eat rodents - like rats and mice. If it wasn't for the West Texas diamondback, the community could be swarmed by rodent overpopulation. After all, snakes like to live in the grass (or cactus); rats like to sleep in your house!
 All joking aside, the diamondback rattlesnake is a curious creation of Nature, and like all of Nature's critters, it deserves a little respect. For the most part, a rattler "lives and lets live," and only becomes a threat to people when disturbed.
The idea of honoring snakes is nothing new. According to Chinese tradition, the snake is the astrological companion to the dragon, or the Yin to the Dragon's Yang force. Cows, monkeys and dogs are revered by some cultures yet consumed as food by others. So, too, snakes are respected in some parts of the world and despised in others. The way that people feel about snakes is heavily influenced by cultural beliefs and mythology.
Some cultures held snakes in high esteem as powerful religious symbols. Quetzalcoatl, the mythical "plumed serpent," was worshipped as the "Master of Life" by ancient Aztecs and the Maya of Central America. Some African cultures worshipped rock pythons and considered the killing of one to be a serious crime. In Australia, the Aborigines associate a giant rainbow serpent with the creation of life.
 Other cultures have associated snakes with medicinal powers or rebirth. In India, cobras were regarded as reincarnations of important people called Nagas. Our modern medical symbol of two snakes wrapped around a staff, or 'caduceus,' comes from ancient Greek mythology. According to the Greeks, the mythical figure Aesculapius discovered medicine by watching as one snake used herbs to bring another snake back to life.
But we're missing the point here. For whatever reason, snake hunting is a Texas tradition. No longer are snakes rounded up and massacred. In fact, events like the Sweetwater Roundup helps to promote education and understanding about the native snake and helps in making people aware of their many contributions.
The weekend officially kicks off on Thursday, March 09, with the Rattlesnake Review Parade through downtown Sweetwater. That evening, you can join in the Miss Snakecharmer Pageant held in the Sweetwater Municipal Auditorium. The doors will open at 8:00 a.m. Friday March 10, for the 48th annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup with snakes being weighed in at 7:00 a.m. that morning at the Nolan County Coliseum. Catch one of the many snake handling demonstrations while you are here.
For more information about the event or lodging in Sweetwater, visit the official Sweetwater Jaycees Web site.
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Rio Grande Valley
