Nov. 5 parade to feature cowboys, horses, motorized floats and more
CAVE CREEK – Where can you see cowboys in bathtubs flying down a street? Pig races and kids riding sheep? A festive parade in a town transported back to the late 1800s?
Mark your calendar for the 13th Annual Cave Creek Wild West Days event set for Wednesday through Sunday, November 2 through November 6 to experience all of the rousing fun.
We invite everyone to join in on the fun as we celebrate Cave Creek’s historic heritage,” said Evelyn Johnson, Cave Creek Merchants & Events Association (CCMEA) president and event chair. “We’re bringing back some of the popular events and also featuring new performers and activities. Come see why so many people love the spirit of our Creekers!”
The popular event kicks off with a bull riding event on Wednesday night, Nov. 2 at The Buffalo Chip and also celebrates the newly opened restaurant and bar after a fire burned it down last year on Thanksgiving.
On Thursday, Nov. 3, Harold’s Cave Creek Corral will host a fun Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction. Proceeds benefit CCMEA and are split evenly among Desert Foothills Land Trust, Cave Creek Rodeo and the town’s 4th of July Fireworks celebration. The bidding starts at 7 p.m. with live music at 9 p.m. Registration will be online at www.haroldscorral.com for entries for the bachelor and bachelorette participants, along with information regarding bidding.
Friday night, Nov. 4, features a new, lively Battle of the Bars bull riding competition at The Buffalo Chip and a Ms. Wild West Days contest. The friendly competition challenges local restaurants, bars and other merchants to put together a team comprised of up to five professional bull riders and also enter one woman to compete in the Ms. Wild West Days contest that evening. Single and married ladies 21 and over who are passionate about Cave Creek are also encouraged to enter the Ms. Wild West Days contest
Another new activity this year is a separate motorcycle run that will take riders out of town early Saturday morning, Nov. 5.
The event’s lively parade starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday on the west side of town by Cave Creek Town Hall and travels east to Harold’s Corral ending at 11 a.m. Merchants throughout town will host a number of mini-events and activities after the parade on Saturday including bathtub races, a half-pie eating contest, and special performances from award-winning re-enactment group, The Prescott Regulators & Their Shady Ladies at Frontier Town; pig races, Cow Pie Bingo, a cornhole tournament, and live music by Mogollon at Harold’s Corral; and mutton bustin’ (kids riding sheep) and a special performance by Jan Marrou, “A Tribute to the American Cowboy” at The Buffalo Chip.
The party also continues into Saturday night with a spectacular fireworks display at 8 p.m. on Saturday hosted by Frontier Town.
On Sunday, Nov. 6, a Poker Trail Ride will start at Harold’s Corral with a continental breakfast and take horseback riders along a trail to collect five cards making up a poker hand. The ride will end at The Buffalo Chip where prizes will be given for Best Hand and Worst Hand and participants will also enjoy a barbecue lunch. The Prescott Regulators & Their Shady Ladies will also perform again on Sunday at Frontier Town.
Before and during the Wild West Days event, the CCMEA will sell tickets to eligible adults for a special gun raffle. Cave Creek Armory is providing a variety of pistols and shotguns ranging in value from $450 to $1,000 and raffle winners will receive a gift certificate to pick up the guns from there. Tickets will be sold for $20 with proceeds benefiting CCMEA. The winners will be announced on Sunday after the Poker Trail Ride.
Restaurants, retail shops and the Cave Creek Museum will also host special programs and entertainment through the weekend.
Admission to Cave Creek Wild West Days is free. The town will close one lane of Cave Creek Road for the parade on Saturday and a shuttle will provide service from the east to the west side of town.
For more information about the 13th Annual Cave Creek Wild West Days, email [email protected], call 480-437-1110, or visit WildWestDaysCaveCreek.com.
Cave Creek Merchants & Events Association 6245 E. Cave Creek Rd. #8, Cave Creek, AZ 85331
