Came here for a circus recently. Â The Expo Center is conveniently located off the highway. Â A bit hard to get to in the dark with all the surrounding road construction within a short mile radius, especially if it's your first-time there. Â Not impossible though. Â The arena smelled vaguely like farm animals, but it wasn't horrible. Â They do host events that involve livestock. Â Seats weren't too bad. Â Concessions are typical. Â Acoustics for the circus were terrible, but I'm sure it's not like that for concerts. Â Convenient to the area!
Review Source:I only come here during February every year for the Bell county youth fair. When I come here for about a week each year it is good. Every thing has a place. There is plenty of parking for everyone even all the trailers.
Unloading can be a issue, especially when the proper tags or pen assignments are not received. The place is well staffed, believe it or not the bathrooms actually stay pretty clean despite how much is going on and things we can step in with all the animals around, and stocked with paper towels, and toilet paper.
The food for sale seems to be priced a little higher then it should, but you do have to pay for convenience (I guess).
The security that is hired could be a little nicer when they are speaking to the parents of the children who are in the youth fair.
Great place for the youth fair in my opinion.
Shit, I bought two of the cheap seats, and yet we were on the FLOOR. Â Wished we'd been in the middle instead of on the side, but at least we weren't in the nosebleeds. Â The expensive seats seemed to be in the rafters, which makes no sense.
Ample parking, with small-ass lobby and t-shirt area. Â I was worried about the seating area being so cold at first, until Quani and I went upstairs to look at t-shirts. Â Once we got back from buying my awesome-ass t-shirt, the back of my neck and my armpits were needing the a/c.
Overpriced tees and beers, as you might imagine, but I didn't let that stop me from buying the sexiest sleeveless, girliest ZZ Top tee and three... ahem, I mean five, domestic cheap-ass beer. Â You don't like Lone Star? Â Go to a concert at Belton County Expo Center; you'll suddenly be begging for Lone Star. Â Quani was. Â I was, too, but I've come to love Lone Star over the years. Â When we got to Hideout Pub later, a friend remarked, "How come you guys are sober? Â Didn't you just come from a concert?" Â Yeah, because Bud Light, Miller Light and Michelob Ultra Light just can't compare; nor can they make you buzzed. Â I'm almost certain the latter is why they sell the crappy beer there. Â I'm really glad, though, that there were three beer tents behind the floor seats. Â That meant we didn't have to go too far for refreshment.
Coulda seen better had I brought my glasses, but I got a pretty nice peep of the bands, when I was able to crane my neck around all the Jolly Green Giants in front of me. Â Woulda been nice if the floor seats were angled so I could have seen over all those Yao Mings. Â During Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird", I couldn't hear the guitar solo that well. Â Really not sure whom to blame, but blame definitely goes somewhere.
Well, shit, whatever... I got my "Free Bird", and I got my ZZ-Top "Legs" and "Sharp Dressed Man", so I'm happy. Â And, thanks to ZZ Top playing the same set they played at the new Backyard last year, Quani and I knew when to skeedaddle and get to the car to leave and avoid traffic. Â But we didn't avoid traffic. Â Yeah, they need someone directing traffic at this place; it was a total clusterfuck. Â
NOTE: Â There is an exit at the BACK of the parking lot, on the east side, so don't think that you have to sit in line for two hours crawling toward the front exit, with assholes barging in front of you.
Wish there were better restaurants nearby. Â There's a Golden Chick, a Subway, and some disgusting (says a friend) place called Jake's Chinese Restaurant. Â 'Cause Belton is all about being authentic. Â Next time, I'll either opt for Subway, or I'll allow myself to starve. Â The local burger place two of our Yelp friends glamorized was disappointing.
Awesome moment #1: Â After the opening act, the house lights came back up, and some girl jokingly remarked, "Wow, everybody's ugly." Â Well played, Miss. Â Well played.
Awesome moment #2: Â Lynyrd Skynyrd left the stage after playing "Sweet Home Alabama". Â They had not yet played "Free Bird". Â I'm sure we all knew it was a tease, but after several minutes, I got a bit worried. Â Once everyone started chanting, "FREE BIRD!" though, they retook the stage and played it.
Awesome moment #3: Â I'd forgotten what encore songs ZZ Top did last year, but Quani and I successfully guessed both of them last night. Â "La Grange" and "Tush".
Great concert (mostly thanks to the bands), decent seats for the price, pretty good experience. Â Sure, I'll go back. Â Provided someone worthwhile is playing.