Cotton Holdings brought unmatched energy, elegance and thousands of red roses to the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) cook-off scene. As the returning Title Sponsor of the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest (WCBBQC), Cotton cooked up unforgettable experiences by hosting guests at the rose-filled Cotton ‘Q Club during the contest and participating in other signature rodeo events.

Painting the Town Red with Roses at the Cotton ‘Q Club

At the legendary Cotton ‘Q Club during the WCBBQC, guests were treated to an elevated rodeo cook-off experience. This year, the Club featured over 20,000 red roses — including many hanging from the ceiling — across a luxurious, “country-chic” space. Larger-than-life decor like sparkling crystal chandeliers, gold-framed trophy mounts and a 50-foot bar lined in green velvet also filled the venue.

Inside the Club, high-energy live performances across three nights had guests dancing to the sounds of Tucker Wetmore, Midland, MacKenzie Porter, The Castellows, Jon Wolfe and Pete’s Dueling Pianos. Cotton’s partnerships with Whistlepig Whiskey, Casa Del Sol and Dripping Springs Distilling powered curated cocktails for guests to sip in style while they enjoyed the music and socializing.

Great food fuels good times, and Executive Chef Wade Schindler and the Cotton Culinary team made sure to craft memorable feasts for Cotton ‘Q Club attendees.

For appetizers, guests savored bites like brie balls with peach bourbon chutney and braised short rib empanadas with adobo crema. The fare for the main course included rodeo-inspired classics with an elevated twist, like the grilled Angus ribeye with chimichurri and bacon bearnaise sauce. Sweets like the raspberry sopapilla cheesecake and Cotton bread pudding with Jack Daniels crème anglaise delighted guests — or at least those who still had room for dessert!

The exclusive Gold Pony Lounge, a private and prestigious speakeasy within the Cotton ‘Q Club, hosted esteemed business leaders, athletes, musicians and celebrities each night. VIPs in the Gold Pony could enjoy expertly crafted cocktails featuring Le Chemin Du Roi Brut Champagne and Branson Cognac, a “Cowboy Caviar” menu from CIEL featuring Hybrid Kaluga Huso Caviar and a surprise late-night delight of buzzworthy cheeseburgers from rapper Bun B’s Trill Burgers.

If you want to stop and smell the roses and learn more about this year’s Cotton ‘Q Club and Gold Pony Lounge, you can view media coverage from PaperCity Magazine, The Houston Chronicle or The Houston Business Journal, or browse through the photos below.