Members of the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce board are preparing for Wild West Days, one of the town’s most anticipated events. This year the two-day celebration will be held on Friday and Saturday, July 15 and 16, and will feature some notable changes from previous years.
This year the board decided to discontinue the annual Ace in the Hole BBQ competition due to the costs associated with putting on the event and will instead be hosting the Cowboy Chili Cook-Off.
The cook-off will be open to anyone who loves to make chili. According to Chamber Director Billie Perkins, the cost to enter the event is $30 and participants must provide their own appliances, with propane cook stoves preferred, as there will be limited access to electricity. The chili must be cooked on site beginning at 8 a.m. on July 16, and must be ready to be judged by 1 p.m. The awards for the event include a first place $100 cash prize; second place, $75; and third place, $50. Each winner will also receive a plaque and a Golden Spoon gift basket.
Once the competition is over, the contestants will be invited to sell their chili for the remainder of Wild West Day event if they have abided by the Navajo County Public Health District requirements prior to the competition. Each contestant is encouraged to contact the Navajo County Health Department to see what they are required to have. The contestants can also contact Perkins at holbrooazchamber1@gmail.com.
In addition to the cook-off, there will be a variety of musical entertainment, including Triple Play, Thunderhorse and The Coyote & The Roses. The Bucket of Blood Re-enactors will relive some of Holbrook’s more colorful historic events, and there will be Native American and Mexican cultural dances.
Fun for the family will include a watermelon eating contest, and kids can enjoy pony rides and free games. In a nod to Holbrook’s bygone days, an Old West Costume Contest will be held, you can also have your favorite official jailed, and enjoy horse and buggy rides. There will also be a beer garden and plenty of vendors.
Signups have already begun on Active.com to take part in the Bucket of Blood Races on July 16, which includes a half-marathon, a 10K and a bicycle race. The cost to enter the races is $40 for the bike race and 10K, and $45 for the half-marathon if competitors sign up prior to the race online, which also guarantees a swag bag. Otherwise, the cost goes up $5 for the bike race and 10K, and $10 for the half-marathon. First place prizes in each race include a pair of Oakley Holbrook sunglasses.
Also, as part of the weekend events, the Wild West Days Junior Rodeo will be held at the Navajo County Fairgrounds. The event will be open to all kids who want to compete.
To learn more about the events planned for Holbrook’s Wild West Days, visit tribunenewsnow.com/event/wild-west-days/.
