At what time on Friday, October 30, does your household want to be back on the couch? Answer that before you open the ticket page for the 6th annual Fall Fest at Pedrotti's Ranch in Helotes. The City of Helotes event calendar lists the evening from 5 to 10:30 p.m. The official Fall Fest page lays out three blocks between 5 and 10 p.m., one after another. Each block is built for a different age group.
That timing helps a Kallison Ranch family plan the night. A household with a four-year-old and a household with teenagers can buy the same ticket and still be there for different parts of the evening. The festival is eight days after this post goes up, so there's time to pick your block, buy accordingly and leave room for the free Trunk or Treat in Helotes two nights earlier.
The schedule comes in three blocks
Here is how the official event page lays out the night:
- 5:00 to 7:30 p.m., Kids Entertainment. An inflatable indoor air park, goat cuddles, a petting zoo, face painting, a pumpkin patch and photo ops.
- 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Live Rodeo, Bulls & Barrels. Bull riding and barrel racing in the ranch's arena.
- 8:30 to 10:00 p.m., Live Music by Nick Lawrence.
Doors open at 5 p.m., and the event page says the kids' activities start shortly after. Each block lines up with a different age group, so a household can treat each one as a stopping point.
The early-bedtime plan. Arrive near 5, give the kids a full two and a half hours of goats, pumpkins and inflatables, and stay for the opening of the rodeo if they're still awake. You can head home before 8 and skip the late music set entirely.
The rodeo-centered plan. Arrive around 6:30, catch the last hour of kids' activities and settle into the arena for the 7:30 bulls and barrels. You'll be on your way home by 8:30, when the music starts.
The full-night plan. Come for the rodeo and stay through Nick Lawrence's set until 10. A household without young children, or one that has lined up a sitter, might use the whole evening this way.
What the tickets cost, and what changes at 21
Pedrotti's sells three ticket tiers online, all priced before tax:
| Ticket | Who it's for | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kids General Admission | Ages 4 to 12 | $10 + tax | Rodeo, music, indoor inflatable park, kids' activities |
| General Admission | Ages 13+ | $20 + tax | Live rodeo, live music, activities, entertainment |
| VIP Experience | Ages 21+ | $100 + tax | 2 adult drink tickets, 1 meal voucher, reserved rodeo seating and VIP area, reserved table seating for the music, meet-and-greets with rodeo competitors and Nick Lawrence |
Children 3 and under get in free.
For a household of two adults and two children between 4 and 12, general admission comes to $60 plus tax. If the youngest is 3 or under, the same family pays $50 plus tax. That's a modest cost for a night with a petting zoo, a pumpkin patch, a rodeo and a concert.
VIP costs $80 more than general admission. Most of that extra goes to things that happen later in the evening. The meet-and-greet with rodeo competitors takes place in the arena after the rodeo ends, and the reserved table seating is for the music set. So VIP works best for an adult who plans to stay through the rodeo and the concert. A parent who expects to leave with a sleepy child around 7:45 would miss most of what VIP adds. That parent gets the same kids' activities and the start of the rodeo on a $20 ticket.
There's also a military discount. The event page lists the code HEROES at checkout, or you can call the ranch office at (210) 695-3533, which also handles group sales. Tickets arrive by email, and a mobile ticket or the email confirmation gets you in.
Where the ticket money goes
Your ticket also supports a Helotes tradition. According to the Fall Fest page, proceeds go toward the Miss Helotes Scholarship Pageant. That pageant crowned its first queen in 1967. Young women from the Helotes area compete for a spot on the court and a chance to represent Helotes at surrounding towns' festivals and public appearances. The page says the current Miss Helotes and her court received scholarships, prizes and gift packages worth $15,500. The pageant has its own page on the Cornyval site, the home of the Helotes festival it's part of.
So the $20 that gets a teenager in on Friday also helps fund scholarships for Helotes-area students.
The ranch itself
Pedrotti's Ranch is at 13715 FM 1560 N, Helotes, TX 78023. On a normal weekend it's a private event venue, not a public hangout. The ranch's website describes four banquet halls, onsite catering, a full bar and an outdoor rodeo arena, and it hosts everything from weddings and corporate gatherings to rodeo shows. The ranch's own history says the Pedrotti family business began in 1971 as a restaurant and catering company before growing into the ranch and event site it is today.
That private-venue setup explains why Fall Fest is a rare night when anyone with a ticket can walk in. The ranch's public events page lists only Fall Fest on October 30, a holiday party on December 19 and Taste of Helotes in 2027, with that date still to be announced. No weekly public rodeo or music night appears on that page. If your family wants to see the arena this fall, Fall Fest is the only public chance listed.
The private-event business also shapes how the night is set up. The event page says the rodeo seating is all covered. The petting zoo and pumpkin patch are outside, and everything else goes indoors in the air conditioning. Food and drink vendors will be on site. Visit San Antonio's listing for the venue notes free parking.
Before you head out Friday
A short checklist built from the event's own details:
- Tickets on your phone. The emailed confirmation works for entry.
- Something warmer for outdoors. The pumpkin patch and petting zoo are outside, and the music runs until 10 p.m.
- Dinner on site. Vendors will sell food and drinks, and VIP guests get one meal voucher.
- A target arrival time. Arrive near 5 for the full kids' block, or around 7 to get seated before the 7:30 rodeo.
- Questions answered ahead of time. The office line is (210) 695-3533, and the email is [email protected].
A free warm-up on Wednesday
If your kids want two costume nights that week, the City of Helotes calendar lists the FBC Helotes Trunk or Treat on Wednesday, October 28, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The listing describes free family activities, food, games and treats. It lasts 90 minutes on a weeknight, so it fits around school and work. Then the kids' block at Pedrotti's on Friday gives the youngest guests a second outing, with goats and pumpkins instead of candy.
On Wednesday, the treats are free. On Friday, children 3 and under get in free, older kids are $10 plus tax, and the rodeo starts at 7:30.
I keep track of what's happening around Kallison Ranch and Helotes because these calendars show what a typical Friday in far northwest San Antonio looks like. If you see me in the stands for the bulls and barrels, come say hello. And whenever you want to talk through a move, a sale or what's coming next nearby, Alyssa Oliver is always glad to hear from you. Let's Connect.
