The Franklin County Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo is one of those events that tells you exactly what part of Texas you’re in. Held every Labor Day weekend at the Posse Arena on FM 115 South in Mount Vernon, the rodeo is a sanctioned, professional-level competition with $20,000 in added purse money and three consecutive nights of performances. It’s not a tourist event. It’s a rodeo that the community organizes, the competitors take seriously, and the crowd supports by showing up.

The 2026 schedule

The rodeo runs for three nights over Labor Day weekend, with performances each evening at 8:00 p.m. The event is sanctioned by UPRA, CPRA, and LRCA, which means the competitors are serious and the purse is real.

What makes this rodeo different

The Mount Pleasant Pro Rodeo, held each spring at the Titus County Fairgrounds, is the larger of the two rodeos in the area. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo is the other one—smaller, more intimate, and just as real. The arena sits on FM 115 South outside Mount Vernon, a purpose-built facility with pipe fencing, sandy loam ground, and open-air seating for 700 to 800 people.

The intimacy of the venue is part of the appeal. You’re close enough to hear the announcer without amplification on some nights, close enough to see the dust rise off a bull’s back, close enough to feel the ground move when the chutes open. The Posse Arena doesn’t have the infrastructure of a major rodeo complex, and that’s exactly the point. It’s a working rodeo arena in a rural county, and the crowd knows the difference between a show and a competition.

The Sheriff’s Posse tradition

Sheriff’s Posse organizations are a distinctly Texas institution. They originated as volunteer groups that supported the county sheriff’s office, often providing mounted patrols and search-and-rescue capability. Over time, many Posses became community organizations that host rodeos, parades, and charitable events. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Posse has been part of the Mount Vernon community for decades, and the annual Labor Day rodeo is its signature event.

The Posse Arena itself is a reflection of that tradition: functional, well-maintained, and built for the sport. The sandy loam ground is the kind of surface that competitors prefer, and the pipe fencing is the standard for a facility that hosts real rodeo events. The $20,000 added purse means the competition draws riders who are willing to travel for a real payday, which means the quality of competition is higher than you might expect from a county-level event.

Getting there from the property

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Posse Arena sits on FM 115 South, about fifteen minutes from the property via US-80 and FM 115. The drive runs through the same Piney Woods and pastureland that defines this part of East Texas. The arena is easy to find, with parking on the grounds and along the access road.

Labor Day weekend is one of the best weekends to be in this part of Northeast Texas. The summer heat is starting to break, the evenings are getting cooler, and the community calendar is full. The Posse Rodeo on Friday through Sunday, followed by the Diamond Rio benefit concert the next Friday, followed by the Titus County Fair the week after that—September 2026 is shaping up to be one of the busiest months in recent memory for events near the property. For anyone evaluating the area as a primary home or a weekend retreat, that density of community activity is worth noticing.