TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — For over a century, Tucson's Rodeo— La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros—has sat at the intersection of community, competition and cowboys.
The event invites Southern Arizona and beyond to come back to the basics.
“We don’t do concerts, we’re not into the street shows and things like that," said Tucson Rodeo Committee Chairman Mark Baird. "We put on a rodeo, and that’s what we do best.”
He says athletes come to the Old Pueblo from every corner of the United States to show off their riding, roping and ranching skills.
“This kind of gives you a taste of the way it used to be back when rodeo was really gaining its foothold,” Baird said.
Looking back on the Tucson Rodeo's 101-year history, the committee says though the rodeo has grown, it's core hasn't changed too much.
“What has stayed the same is probably our dedication to making sure we keep this as close to the vest and as close to a true rodeo production as we can," Baird said. "Back in the early days when this first started, the guys were competing for hams and chickens and a block of ice.”
Now, competitors are vying for an over half-a-million-dollar purse in the first outdoor rodeo of the 2026 season.
“Our arena is probably twice the size of what you would compete at indoors," Baird said. “The National Finals in Las Vegas is held in the Thomas and Mack Center, which is a basketball arena. It’d be like having a rodeo in McKale Center."
He says their arena is much larger: "We could put two McKale Centers out here and still have room on both ends.”
Baird says he has a few more years in him, and though he may take a step back after his tenure as chairman, this is far from his last rodeo.
“I hope it goes on another 100 years," He said. "I really do. I won’t be here to see it, but I’m sure hoping the generations to come will still be able to come out and enjoy this event just the way it is now.”
Find tickets to La Fiesta de los Vaqueros here.
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
