Rattlesnake Festival slithers once again in east Pasco

SAN ANTONIO — No, the rattlesnake was not worshipped by settlers of east Pasco County.

Instead, 40-plus years ago, members of the now defunct San Antonio Jaycees thought a display of the noisy snakes would make for the perfect community fundraiser.

Amy Greif, 50, San Antonio water clerk and daughter of one of the festival's founders, remembers young men venturing out to nearby ranches, hunting for snakes to showcase at the festival.

"It was a big deal," Greif said. "They would be in their western hats and their boots. They were charged."

Armed with burlap sacks — "very breathable" — and plywood boxes — "well hinged and locked" — the men tried to find the biggest rattlers.

The winner received a pair of snake catching boots from Hardy's Department Store in Dade City.

Now, the department store is closed and the snakes are brought in by professional handlers. The real gophers that used to race in the 1960s have been replaced by wood and Styrofoam mockups. And the festival is now run by the Rattlesnake and Gopher Enthusiasts nonprofit, which took over when the Jaycees disbanded sometime in the 1970s.

Though changes have been made, some elements of the original festival remain.

Like the barbecue chicken.

"The festival prepares all of its food," Greif said. "There are no outside vendors."

And in its 42 years, the Rattlesnake Festival has always been held on the third weekend in October. The Jaycees did their research when establishing a date for the original rattler roundup.

"The monks at St. Leo (Abbey) kept a weather station," Greif said. "Their records indicated that the weekend of the third Saturday would be the most conducive."

Except for one year when hurricane winds shut down the festival, the monks were right.

Helen Anne Travis can be reached at htravis@sptimes.com or (813) 435-7312.