Posted By Les Conklin on Aug 31, 2016

13th Annual Event is set for Wed. through Sun., Nov. 2-6

By Sue Kern Fleisher

Muttin’ Bustin’. Photo Courtesy of Mike Pintar.

CAVE CREEK, Ariz. (August 1, 2016) – Organizers of this year’s 13^th Annual Cave Creek Wild West Days event are seeking parade entrants, poker ride participants, contestants for the Miss Wild West Days event, Battle of the Bars team entries for a bull riding competition, single participants for the Bachelor/Bachelorette auction and more.

Hosted by the Cave Creek Merchants & Events Association (CCMEA), Cave Creek Wild West Days is set for Wednesday through Sunday, November 2 through November 6. The popular event kicks off with a bull riding event on Wednesday night, Nov. 2 at The Buffalo Chip. On Thursday, Nov. 3, Harold’s Corral will host a Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction with proceeds benefiting CCMEA. Friday night, Nov. 4, features a Battle of the Bars bull riding competition at The Buffalo Chip and a Miss Wild West Days contest.

Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction

On Thursday, Nov. 3, Harold’s Cave Creek Corral will host a fun Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction. Proceeds benefit CCMEA and are split evenly between Desert Foothills Land Trust, Cave Creek Rodeo and the town’s 4^th 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.

Parade & Poker Ride

The event’s lively parade starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5 on the west side of Cave Creek Road by Town Hall and travels east to Harold’s Corral ending at approximately 11 a.m. This year’s Grand Marshals for the parade include Dolan Ellis, Marshall Trimble, Bob Boze Bell, Pet Corpstein, Jan Marrou and Arizona Legends. A separate Motorcycle Run also starts at 9 a.m. but will take riders out of town.

Poster by Leslie Austin

Leslie Jensen, the event’s parade coordinator, said last year’s event had a record 69 entries, making it one of Wild West Days’ most memorable parades. Prizes for this year’s entries will be given to Best Themed, Best Youth, Best Horse-Drawn, Best Patriotic, Most Historic, Best Mounted, Best Musical, Best Commercial, Best Bling, Best Motorized, Best Walkers and an Overall Best entry category.

“Last year’s parade was phenomenal and we want to build upon that,” Jensen, a Farm Bureau Financial Services agent, said. “People have the misconception that you need a grand purpose to be in the parade. If you want to showcase your business, passion, patriotism, special interest or just have fun, download the application on the Wild West Days website now and start planning to be a part of something pretty incredible. And, if you need help with creative ideas, contact me directly.”

Jensen is also coordinating Wild West Days’ Poker Trail Ride, which takes place on Sunday, Nov. 6. The event will start at Harold’s Corral with a continental breakfast followed by a two to two and a half-hour trail ride that takes horseback riders along the route to collect five cards making up a poker hand. The ride will end at The Buffalo Chip where riders will enjoy a wonderful barbecue lunch, and prizes will be presented for the Best Hand, Worst Hand and other categories.

“The Poker Trail Ride is a fun way to tour around Cave Creek on horseback, share camaraderie, and enjoy a delicious lunch afterwards,” she said, adding that it is open to riders of all ages.

Battle of the Bars and Miss Wild West Days

Kristin Lewis, Cave Creek Merchants & Events Association vice president, is coordinating the inaugural Battle of the Bars, set for Friday evening, November 4 at the Buffalo Chip. 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 submit one woman to compete in the Miss Wild West Days contest that evening.

“Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated back to the Cave Creek Merchants and Events Association and the remainder will go to the winning team,” Lewis said, adding that prize money will also be divided up evenly among the bull riders. A separate prize will be given to the Miss Wild West Days winner.

Evelyn Johnson, CCMEA president and event chair, said volunteers are needed for a variety of roles.

“We need volunteers to be roving photographers, ambassadors to keep people informed of locations and events, guides at shuttle stops and more. This is the perfect opportunity to lend a hand and show off what Cave Creek is all about,” she said.

To download parade applications or learn more about the 13th Annual Cave Creek Wild West Days, visit WildWestDaysCaveCreek.com.

For more details about the Bachelor/Bachelorette auction and other events, call (480) 437-1110 or email WildWestDays2016@gmail.com.