The San Antonio 2020 Cowboy Breakfast January 24, 2020

The postman doesn’t have anything on the Cowboy Breakfast, which draws over 30,000 people no matter if there is good weather, torrential downpours, sleet, snow, hail or temperatures in the teens.

The first event in 1979 at Central Park Mall began as an impromptu send-off for trail riders heading out for annual pilgrimages to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

Cappy’s Restaurant prepared the tacos. A barbecue pit in the bed of a pickup provided atmosphere. Not many showed up until the KTSA-AM traffic reporter in a helicopter thought the mall was on fire and landed. News of the Cowboy Breakfast spread on KTSA and other stations, and about 400 people made a beeline for free tacos.

It grew. The Cowboy Breakfast was recognized in 2001 as the World’s Largest Cooked Breakfast by the Guinness Book of Records. It feeds between 30,000-50,000 people, depending on the weather.

One of San Antonio’s most-anticipated events – with many people taking off work and making it a holiday – the 42nd annual Cowboy Breakfast Sponsored by Jordan Ford will be from 4:30-8:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24, in the parking lot of Cowboys Dancehall for the seventh year in a row. Cowboys and other venues offer after-parties.

“It’s a tradition for friends and families to come out for this free event, and there’s not much left anymore that’s free,” said Bill Massey, a founding member who serves as chairman of the non-profit Cowboy Breakfast Foundation. “We feed 40,000 people, and it’s all free. Where else can you get something like that on a nice, chilly morning?”

The Texas-size menu includes 20,000 servings of Picante Sauce by Simply Fresco 15,000 cups of What’s Brewing coffee, 12,000 Kiolbassa Chorizo & Egg Tacos, 10,000 Rudy's BBQ Beef Tacos, 8,000 Pioneer Biscuits & Kiolbassa Sausage, 8,000 bacon & egg tacos, 5,000 potato & egg tacos, 5,000 Kiolbassa Sausage Wraps, 5,000 Pints Oak Farms Milk & Orange Juice and 2,500 servings of Pioneer Biscuits & Gravy.

Emcee will be Jackie Van De Walle, chairman emeritus of the ACCD Foundation.

Live music will be provided, so bring your dancing shoes!