By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Tens of thousands of National Rifle Association members, families and guests will descend on Houston, Texas this weekend for the 155th annual meetings and exhibits, at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
The NRA event will have special significance because the organization will also be observing the 250th anniversary of United States. On top of that, this is the 190th anniversary of Texas independence from Mexico, following the heroic battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto.
Exhibit Hall hours are 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.
When they talk about “big tent” organizations, they’re talking about the NRA, which has members from all walks of life, all ages, all creeds and colors. According to NRA publicity, “In recognition of this, we will be displaying large scale graphics throughout the 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits that highlight various NRA members from across the globe.”
As noted by the NRA, the annual meeting is “the largest gathering of NRA members and Second Amendment supporters in the country.” NRA members from every state will be arriving in Houston this week, filling hotels, visiting restaurants, seeing the sights and converging on the convention center for three big days of events, including ticketed events, free seminars and workshops, and the annual Meeting of Members on Saturday, during which the important election of the 76th Board of Directors member will be held.
Among the activities are two Ring of Freedom events, at 9 a.m. this Thursday as the convention opens, and at 5 p.m. Sunday, ringing this year’s gathering to a close.
Inside the exhibit hall will be displays of firearms, equipment, outdoor clothing and more. Firearm and ammunition companies are represented, along with reloading and accessories. In all, the exhibits cover some 14 acres.
Interestingly, one of the leading gun prohibition lobbying organizations in the nation—the Violence Policy Center—has posted a message on its website, obviously meant to denigrate this year’s NRA gathering.
“Each spring,” the VPC writes, “the NRA convenes its annual meeting, an elaborate, multi-day affair in which the institutional links between the NRA and the firearms industry are on full display. In addition to the election of officers, the annual meeting is an opportunity for the NRA to honor its multi-million-dollar industry donors, known as ‘corporate partners.’ Each annual meeting features an awards ceremony for the so-called Golden Ring of Freedom, allowing the NRA to honor donors (often CEOs at prominent firearm companies) who have donated a million dollars or more. New inductees into the Golden Ring of Freedom receive golden jackets as a reward from the NRA.”
This sort of rhetoric only energizes NRA members, a fact which will become evident many times this weekend in Houston.
