A Rundown Of The Rodeo Parade And Rodeo Days

Experience part of Southern Arizona's living history and explore the Western heritage of Marana

Rodeo Days, also known as La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros, is a nine-day celebration of ranching history, started in 1925. It unites families and celebrates centuries of history through a parade, a carriage museum with one of the largest and most complete collections in the country, and professional competitive rodeo events. The rodeo is so important to our area that students have two days off from school each February to attend the parade and events!

What does this have to with Marana? Well, Marana is still home to many family ranches, rodeo arenas, and rodeo champions!

Sherry Cervi, a nationally-ranked barrel racer and World Rodeo Champion, among the sport’s best, calls Marana home. You can live out Marana’s western and ranching heritage at the White Stallion Ranch (a guest ranch consistently named one of the best in the US), the Mira Vista Resort (a vintage guest ranch-turned luxury, clothing-optional resort), and Li’l Abner’s Steakhouse, an old and storied cowboy-style steakhouse that attracted some of the Western film genre’s biggest starts, are all must-visit places in and around Marana.

Marana's history dates back to the cowboy days of the frontier, and the history of the region is commemorated by Hollywood in many films of the Western genre.

Arizona's history incorporates influences from the Spanish Colonial Period (1528-1821), Mexican Period (1821-1848), Territorial Period (1848-1912), the Early Modern Period, when most of the Western movies were filmed (1912-around 1975), up to present-day. Horses and horse-drawn vehicles are central to all of these eras, and why horses and horsemanship are still at the heart of Rodeo Days.

History of Rodeo Days

The idea of La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros was originally conceived by Leighton Kramer, then-president of the Arizona Polo Association, to draw visitors to Tucson during mid-winter. Kramer himself had visited Tucson in the winter and wanted to show the rest of the country what it was about.

Also, in 1925, the country and world were rapidly modernizing, and what would be thought of as the “Old West” with its cowboys and ranching culture was rapidly fading away, and the rodeo would be a great way to remember Tucson’s ranching roots. The irony? Many Tucsonans did not like the idea of the rodeo or rodeo parade because they saw “the staging of a rodeo and parade as too pretentious.”

Now, nearly 100 years later, the Tucson Rodeo is one of the top 25 professional rodeo events in North America, with prize monies exceeding $320,000. Because of Southern Arizona’s great weather, it is the only one of those Top 25 Rodeos to be held outside between the months of September and May.

The Rodeo & The Parade

The rodeo and surrounding festivities stretch over a 9-day period. Preliminary events in 2024 begin on Saturday, February 17, and the final events of the pro competition conclude on Sunday, February 25. In between there will be junior rodeos, barn dances, a women’s rodeo clinic, kids’ events, and more. Over the course of the nine days there will be 600 human contestants, 1,000 equine participants, 2,000 cowboy hats sold, and over 40 hours of rodeo action!

The Tucson Rodeo Parade takes place on Thursday, February 22, 2024. The parade is billed as the “World’s Longest Non-Motorized Parade” and draws more than 200,000 people each year. The parade features western-themed floats and buggies, historic horse-drawn coaches, festive Mexican folk dancers, marching bands, and outfitted riders.

The parade will feature a new route for 2024! The parade starts at Drexel Rd. & 12th Ave., turns north onto Nogales Hwy, and ends at Irvington Rd. Grandstand seating is available at Drexel Rd. & Liberty Ave., for $12 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. Viewing along the parade route is available free of charge. Visit the parade’s website for more information on parking and how to access the parade route!

The Tucson Wagon & History Museum

If you can't make it to the parade or the rodeo, visit the Tucson Wagon & History Museum, where you can see many of the vehicles featured in the parade!

Formerly known as the Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum, the Tucson Wagon & History Museum is home to an expansive (4 airplane hangars full) collection of horse-drawn vehicles. These include horse-drawn carriages, buggies, stagecoaches, farming implements, and others, impeccably maintained and restored to their former glory. Many of these vehicles play a significant role in the actual history, and the cinematic history of Southern Arizona, such as a Surrey carriage used in the film Oklahoma!, and a buckboard wagon used as a prop in High Chapparal, which was filmed at Old Tucson. Also see the French-made Coronation Carriage that was used for the 1864 coronation of Emperor Maximilian I and Empress Carlota of Mexico, and a personal buggy of Andrew Carnegie.

The museum also features several exhibits, displays, and artifacts detailing the history of Tucson, including models and recreations of shops and buildings that you would’ve found in Tucson in the Old West days.

Where to Stay During Rodeo Days

1. The White Stallion Ranch – The top-rated dude ranch in Arizona, a classic high-end dude ranch centered on horse riding situated in majestic scenery and offering experiences to be long-remembered.

2. The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain - Secluded in canyon in the Tortolita Mountains, this Forbes Double Five-Star-Certified resort offers an experience at the peak of luxury, all inspired by the surrounding Sonoran Desert.

Hotels and Places to Stay in Marana

Where to Dine

1. Cayton’s Burger Bistro – Family-friendly with gorgeous views, unmatched food, upscale resort casual.

The Golf Club at Dove Mountain (at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain)

Reservations are required for lunch and dinner, call (520) 572-3530

2. Li’l Abner’s Steakhouse – Authentic rustic cowboy steakhouse and Old Hollywood hangout, full bar.

8501 N Silverbell Rd, Tucson, AZ 85743

(520) 744-2800

RESTAURANTS IN AND AROUND MARANA


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