Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography Courtesy of Cave Creek Rodeo Days

Steeped in storied history, the town of Cave Creek truly embraces its Western roots. From its cowboy bars boasting bull riding two nights a week to its art galleries showcasing authentic Southwestern paintings and artifacts, evidence of this unique and fascinating heritage fills every nook and cranny of the community.

“Cave Creek is a Western, boutique-style, small town,” says Daren Peterson, president of Cave Creek Rodeo Days. “I mean, it is just a cowboy town. So when it comes to a cowboy town, we need a cowboy sport. And that sport is rodeo.”

Aspiring to maintain the highest level of professional rodeo event and to preserve and promote the town of Cave Creek’s Western heritage, Cave Creek Rodeo Days has — since 1977 — energized the community and brought major economic benefits and the nation’s leading rodeo contestants into town to showcase their talents.

“It is our 45th anniversary of being right here in Cave Creek,” Peterson says of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association-sanctioned event. “That is a big deal. That represents 45 years of history of giving back the way that we do through our charitable donations and everything else that we provide the community.”

Among the many things that Cave Creek Rodeo Days provides the community is a reason to celebrate. The past two COVID-era years have come with unique challenges that have stifled that celebration, so Peterson is hopeful that this year’s milestone event — which takes place March 19–27 — will trumpet a triumphant return of the rodeo’s remarkable ability to bring the community together.

“We did it two years ago without any fans and we lost a bunch of money,” Peterson says. “It was very unprofitable but, through our prior successes and our budget-minded way of [operating], we were able to do it. We had money in the bank and we were able to pull it off in spite of taking a big loss.”

Organizers shifted last year’s event from its usual date in March to Memorial Day weekend in May with the hope that, by then, the state would allow events to operate at 100% capacity.

“We really needed 100% capacity in order to offset the big loss that we took the year before,” says Peterson, noting organizers also wanted to ensure the safety of everyone involved. “In spite of being in May, when the temperatures are a little bit warmer than what they are in March, it was successful from a spectator standpoint, a contestant standpoint and from an overall aspect.”

More than 15,000 people came to Cave Creek to enjoy the events of Cave Creek Rodeo Days in 2021. Peterson is confident that this year’s events will welcome even more visitors, supported by our spectacular March weather.

“The weather in March in Cave Creek, Arizona, is probably as good as anywhere in the entire world,” he explains. “We are able to have two performances at night when people are enjoying the nice, cool evening. Then we are able to have one performance during the day on Sunday when everybody is out enjoying the sunshine.

“Plus, [the PRCA events] will be televised nationally on The Cowboy Channel. That will bring awareness to what a great place Cave Creek is to be in the winter.”

This year’s events will kick off Saturday, March 19 with a parade through downtown Cave Creek — one of the community’s favorite parts of the festivities that has been absent from Cave Creek Rodeo Days’ roster for the past two years.

“The parade is all about community involvement,” Peterson says. “It is a lot easier to be a participant in the parade than it is to be a participant in the rodeo so this is just a chance for everybody to get together, come to downtown Cave Creek and have some fun.”

Peterson adds that, in addition to setting the celebratory tone of the week to come, the parade provides a tremendous economic benefit to local businesses.

“It takes a wide pass to really see the entire economic impact of the parade to the town,” Peterson says.

The festivities will continue Monday, March 21 with Cave Creek Rodeo Days’ annual charity golf tournament, which this year will take place at The 500 Golf Club in Glendale. The tournament is followed by a silent auction and banquet with lots of awards.

“The money that we raise during the golf tournament goes right back into the community through scholarships and donations that we make to local nonprofit organizations,” says Peterson, noting the tournament adds $8,000–$12,000 to Cave Creek Rodeo Days’ general fund.

The local nonprofit organizations that benefit from Cave Creek Rodeos Days’ charitable contributions truly are too many to count, but suffice it to say that the community depends on the support that the organization is able to provide as a direct result of its annual event.

Another important part of Cave Creek Rodeo Days that, like the parade, had to be sidelined for the past two years is mutton bustin’, which offers children aged 4–7 an opportunity to begin their own rip-roaring rodeo careers by riding sheep for as long as they can. It is not only back in full force this year but now joins the main festivities.

“We normally do mutton bustin’ during parade weekend but now we are having [kids] come to the rodeo grounds the morning of Sunday, March 27,” Peterson says. “We will then bring the top kids back from each age group during the PRCA performance and they will perform for the crowd. It brings a family aspect to the entire event and gives kids a chance to be involved with the radio at a young age.”

There is also a dance Saturday, March 26 at Harold’s Cave Creek Corral as well as entertainment and other celebrations at businesses all across Cave Creek throughout the weekend. But the main events of Cave Creek Rodeo Days are, of course, the three PRCA performances.

“The payout will be more than $100,000,” Peterson says. “With that purse money, we are able to attract a lot of the higher caliber cowboys and cowgirls who do professional rodeo for a living as well as some of those who just do rodeo on the weekends.”

And if you have never before attended a rodeo, Peterson says that you are in for a real treat when it comes to witnessing first-hand the hard work, dedication and sheer Western spirit that Cave Creek Rodeo Days contestants demonstrate. They truly do leave it all on the rodeo grounds at Cave Creek Memorial Arena.

“These cowboys and cowgirls only get paid if they win,” he explains. “They do not get a paycheck for just showing up and participating.

“Football players, baseball players and basketball players get paid whether they play or not and whether they win or not. If somebody is out with a sprained ankle, they still get a paycheck. These cowboys and cowgirls pay their own money to get here and pay an entry fee to participate in the events all with the hope that they are going to win a check back from that.”

Therefore, spectators can expect to see a show that is unlike any other — especially this year, as Cave Creek Rodeo Days celebrates not only its milestone 45th anniversary and the town’s Western heritage but also the long-awaited reconvening of the community.

Cave Creek Rodeo Days
480-304-5634 // cavecreekrodeo.com

Parade
Saturday, March 19 // 9 a.m. // Downtown Cave Creek // Free

Golf Tournament
Monday, March 21 // 8 a.m. // The 500 Golf Club // 4707 W. Pinnacle Peak Road, Glendale // $650 per four-person team

PRCA Competitions
Friday, March 25–Sunday, March 27 // See website for schedule // Cave Creek Memorial Arena // 37201 N. 28th St., Cave Creek // $30

Dance
Saturday, March 26 // 10 p.m. // Harold’s Cave Creek Corral // 6895 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek // Free

Mutton Bustin’
Sunday, March 27 // 10 a.m. // Cave Creek Memorial Arena // 37201 N. 28th St., Cave Creek // $25