If you’re in Austin Texas and I could tell you only one thing to do, it’s Chicken sh*t bingo! It may sounds like a joke but it’s quite honestly, one of the the most fun and quirky things you’ll be a part of.
How it all started
The idea came from a musician who approached the owners of The Little Longhorn Saloon over 25 years ago. He suggested that instead of cow shit bingo as he’d seen in California, why not use chickens? And the rest is history!
We couldn’t believe the number of people already in the car-park when we arrived. There’s a serious sense of anticipation in the air and my tip is to get there early to really soak up the fun. All are welcome and there’s a fantastic mix of ages, all set to watch that chicken get ready to poop, and hopefully take home some cash!
Roll up, roll up
Another tip, you need to be fast, and I mean really fast when the organisers shout to get in line for a ticket. It’s a $2 donation and children under 13 and those over 91 get to queue first (hilariously IDs are checked). It was incredible when a lady in her 90s shouted out and a ticket was promptly given to her, along with a huge round of applause from the gathering crowd.
And it begins…
When the tickets are sold and the chicken has had time to digest its feed, the first of four rounds kicks-off. Each ticket corresponds to a number on the table inside a pen. If the chicken poops on your ticket’s number, you win a cash prize. It’s so fun to see big crowds of people jostle to get a view of the board. You’re surrounded by deafening yelps of success or despair as the boards begins to get covered in you know what! The organisers tell the MC the winning number and it gets announced, photos are taken inside the bar with the band and then the next round begins.
The real Austin
I absolutely love people-watching and this is 4-hours of bliss. We sat on the back of an old pickup truck and took it all in sipping cold beers. The bingo is one thing but if you’re a music or dance fan, you can listen to fantastic live bands playing honky-tonc, country or rockabilly. I can’t recommend this afternoon enough and best of luck if you get a ticket for a round!
Time: 4-8pm every Sunday
Location: The Little Longhorn Saloon