Cowboys Red River opened a roughly 35,000-square-foot dance hall in the former Sharpstown Mall, complete with a 2,500-square-foot dance floor and mechanical bull.
HOUSTON — Grab your boots and find a dance partner. A massive new honky-tonk has opened in Houston, complete with a 2,500-square-foot dance floor and, of course, a mechanical bull.
Cowboys Red River recently opened in the Sharpstown area at what was formerly known as Sharpstown Mall. The roughly 35,000-square-foot country dance hall centers around what marketing director Shelby Callaway described as a 2,500-square-foot “racetrack” dance floor.
This story continues below.
“Houston has been ready for a place like this,” Callaway told KHOU 11’s Ron Treviño.
Callaway said the idea is to give Houstonians a place to enjoy the country dance hall experience year-round, not just during rodeo season.
“If you go to any club during the rodeo, and every time I’ve gone out during that time, all I hear is, ‘Why don’t we have this all year round?’” she said.
Cowboys Red River celebrated its grand opening Saturday with a performance by country singer Chris Young. Callaway said about 2,500 people packed the venue for opening night. The Houston dance hall is Cowboys Red River’s third Texas location, joining locations in the Dallas and San Antonio areas.
For anyone looking for a little “Urban Cowboy” nostalgia, there’s also a mechanical bull.
“It will put you right in the movie,” Callaway said when asked about comparisons to the famed Gilley’s in Pasadena.
Treviño decided to put that claim to the test himself and climbed aboard the mechanical bull. He made it longer than eight seconds before eventually hitting the padded landing area, prompting his Apple Watch to check whether he’d taken a fall.
No injuries, just another night at Houston’s newest honky-tonk.
Got a news tip or story idea? Email us at newstips@khou.com or call 713-521-4310 and include your name and the best way to reach you.