Rodeo News

The Willcox Ranching Heritage Festival is Coming to Town

by
Cowboy Lifestyle
April 22, 2022

Have you ever wanted to experience or learn about the cowboy way of life? Such as riding horseback through the open range, blacksmithing, or driving and wrangling cattle while working in harmony with the land? At the Ranching Heritage Festival in Willcox this June you’ll get to witness first-hand how this ranching lifestyle has been preserved for the past 150 years.

The Willcox Theater and Arts along with the Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame proudly present the Ranching Heritage Festival in Willcox which will highlight, demonstrate, and preserve the cowboy heritage and history in Cochise County.

Beginning in 1872, the first ranch in Arizona was founded at the Sierra Bonita Ranch. The year 2022 marks 150 years of ranching in this prime cattle country. Traditions and hard work have come to define this shared ranch culture for generations. Celebrate the past, present, and future of ranching for three days this summer.

There will be skilled craftsmen demonstrations including saddle making, blacksmithing, horseshoeing, and Dutch oven cooking. To honor the past, there will be Cowboy Hall of Fame stories told by the Cowboy Hall of Famers themselves and ranch history videos. And to see how the west was won and the grit it takes to be a cowboy there will be horsemanship and showmanship clinics and a virtual reality experience. A trade show of nationwide vendors, an art show, craft and food vendors, live music performances, and a street dance will round out this event full of entertainment for the whole family. The event itself is free with food and beverages available for purchase.

By sharing the culture and traditions that have been passed down through the years, this event will inspire future generations to saddle up and ride. So, gather the herd and ramble on down to the Willcox Ranching Heritage Festival June 3rd-5th, 2022.