The Fiesta de los Vaqueros returns this year at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds with a special “Pink Day” to support breast cancer research. The fiesta runs for nine days beginning Saturday, Feb. 15 and ending on Feb. 23. Visitors can support the fight against breast cancer by wearing rosy hues on Sunday, Feb. 16, according to Tucson Rodeo spokesperson Joan Liess.
Expect to see cowboys looking pretty in pink as well. The Tucson chapter of Chicks n Chaps is also hosting a Women’s Rodeo Clinic that morning where rodeo cowboys teach local women how to rope. Proceeds will benefit the University of Arizona Cancer Center.
Justin Rumford, a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rodeo Clown of the Year, will also be performing for the crowd during the show, Liess said.
The rodeo is “something that’s totally different from people’s every day lives,” Liess said, adding that people from across the United States and even Europe are drawn to Tucson for the annual event. “People love cowboys,” she said.
The rodeo parade, a one-day event, starts at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20 and spans one-and-a-half miles starting on Park Avenue and Ajo Way. It will feature more than 200 floats, according to the Tucson Rodeo official website.
Liess said La Fiesta de los Vaqueros remains a popular event because, “We’re bigger. We’re outdoors. And we’re very traditional.”
IF YOU GOTucson Rodeo Grounds
4823 S. Sixth Ave.
Feb. 15 to 23
Times vary
Ticket prices vary
$12, general admission seating.
$17-$26, reserved seating
520-741-2233, www.tucsonrodeo.com
THE PARADEStarts at Park Ave. and Ajo Way
Thursday, Feb. 20
9 a.m.
Tickets for grandstand seating:
$7, adults
$5 children under 13
Free along street
Parking, $5 per vehicle