18 FEBRUARY 2023 By Mallory Gleich Western Week, a collection of events held in Scottsdale in February, is dedicated to celebrating the city’s history and cultures of the past – and the celebration promises an Old Western-style good time for all ages. Although the “new” Western Week debuted in 2017, the events have been part of Scottsdale’s culture as far back as 1957, according to Scottsdale’s Director of Tourism and Events, Karen Churchard. “The City of Scottsdale was looking for a way to incorporate the major events they were already hosting, including the Scottsdale Parada Del Sol Historical Parade and the arrival of the Hashknife Pony Express,” Churchard said. While the events celebrate the past, they also educate attendees about the “cultures that exist in the city today that help make the community so unique and vibrant,” Churchard said. Additionally, the city worked with the Arizona American Indian Tourism Association to create the annual Arizona Indian Festival, which started in 2017 and offered free admission to Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. At this event, guests can enjoy traditional food, storytelling, traditional dancing, singing and dwellings represented within the village area. “Year after year, the city partners with businesses and museums in Old Town – such as Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, Scottsdale Gallery Association and individual merchants, bars and restaurants – to present events, programming and entertainment tying in with Western Week,” Churchard said. The most popular event, however, continues to be the Scottsdale Parada Del Sol, which attracts more than 30,000 people annually. Churchard said that the parade and Trail’s End Festival will incorporate sports themes and activities as well as cowboy and Western ones, as it always has. Last year’s theme was Back in the Saddle, referring to the end of the one-year hiatus. The 2023 theme for the parade is Cowboy Kickoff, as Super Bowl LVII will happen in Glendale the following Sunday. “People were extremely excited about the return of this event, as it has become a generations-strong tradition for many local families,” Churchard said. “Tens of thousands of people attend the weeklong event, with the highest attendance at the Parada and Arizona Indian Festival.” The Parade Committee and the Scottsdale Charros (a nonprofit group that supports businesses and schools throughout the Valley) are dedicated to keeping the parade true to its roots, which means the event will continue to give off that small-town parade feel for attendees. Entries are limited to around 125 groups representing the cultures of Scottsdale’s past, present and future. These include colorful floats, mounted horse-riders, horse-drawn carriages, school marching bands, wagons and stagecoaches representing multiple cultures, from Mexican and Native American to Arabian and Western, according to Churchard. scottsdaleparade.com 69 th annual Western Week heads to Old Town WESTERN WEEK EVENTS Below are a few Western Week events. Find more information on the website. WESTERN SPIRIT GOLD PALETTE ARTWALK Thursday, Feb. 2, from 6:30-9 p.m. Scottsdale Arts District Stroll through the Scottsdale Arts District while enjoying authentic Western entertainment and Western- themed exhibitions at participating galleries. MARCHING THROUGH SIX DECADES OF PARADA DEL SOL Thursday, Feb. 2, from 6-7 p.m. Scottsdale’s Museum of the West/ Virginia G. Piper Theater Scottsdale Community Historian Joan Fudala will hold a presentation including a photo-rich history of the Parada from its origins to date. 65 TH ANNUAL HASHKNIFE PONY EXPRESS ARRIVAL Friday, Feb. 3, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Scottsdale’s Museum of the West Celebrate the arrival of the Hashknife Pony Express, the oldest officially sanctioned Pony Express in the world, which delivers more than 20,000 pieces of U.S. Mail to the steps of Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. Enjoy live music, dancers, Native American hoop dancers and royalty, kids’ activities and food trucks. PARADA DEL SOL HISTORIC PARADE AND TRAIL’S END FESTIVAL Saturday, Feb. 4 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. From Drinkwater Blvd. along Scottsdale Road Presented by Oliver Smith Jewelers, the 69 th Annual Scottsdale Parada Del Sol Parade and Trail’s End Festival celebrates the city’s Wild West roots. The parade goes until noon, when the city is transformed into a block party with a kid’s zone, food trucks, vendors and multiple stages with live entertainment. ARIZONA INDIAN FESTIVAL Saturday, Feb. 4, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 5, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Scottsdale Civic Center The Arizona American Indian Tourism Association, in partnership with Arizona’s Native American tribes, hosts this annual event. Guests can explore examples of traditional Indian villages and dwellings, arts and crafts, demonstrations, native food vendors and mainstage entertainment. The Scottsdale Parada Del Sol attracts more than 30,000 people annually. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CITY OF SCOTTSDALE Traditional food, storytelling, dancing, singing and more happen at the American Indian Festival. The Hashknife Express delivers more than 20,000 pieces of U.S. Mail to the steps of Scottsdale’s Museum of the West during Western Week.