Does Arizona have a western or cowboy culture? (Phoenix, Scottsdale: homes, camp)

[Ponderosa]

Phoenix does not have a culture. It's the American amalgam. It's mostly midwesterners and Californians, so it's more Chicago/west Coast than anything else. You meet all types though. You won't get too many looks wearing a big hat and alligator boots here, but you won't see many on the street doing that either.

Now, there is a completely phony cowboy culture like Old Town Scottsdale and some other places. You can get your cowboy on at Rawhide - another fake cowboy place or get out of town where to places like Oatman where there are no cowboys either, but it is at least somewhat authentic. And there is no end of cowboy-oriented (western themed) fests around the state.

Someone said Tucson is cowboy. I disagree. Tucson tries to be Old Mexico.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Phoenix does not have a culture. It's the American amalgam. It's mostly midwesterners and Californians, so it's more Chicago/west Coast than anything else. You meet all types though. You won't get too many looks wearing a big hat and alligator boots here, but you won't see many on the street doing that either.

Now, there is a completely phony cowboy culture like Old Town Scottsdale and some other places. You can get your cowboy on at Rawhide - another fake cowboy place or get out of town where to places like Oatman where there are no cowboys either, but it is at least somewhat authentic. And there is no end of cowboy-oriented (western themed) fests around the state.

Someone said Tucson is cowboy. I disagree. Tucson tries to be Old Mexico.

Tucson is 1 part college town, 1 part retiree haven, 1 part illegal immigrant, w/ a semblance of relics of Cowboy history (thanks to the John Wayne movies and Old Tucson Studios) and then places like El Corral and Shooters.

Arizona isn't really all that cowboy, that seemed to die off in most places, including the places named. Phoenix was never really a cowboy town more than it was an Agricultural oasis in the middle of the desert. If we can qualify Ranchers as Cowboys then yes I suppose there were some. Most Cowboy culture in AZ will be in Eastern AZ deserts near places like Safford, Thatcher, Cochise County and a few other places.

[Linda_d]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

Which areas of Phoenix besides Gilbert that was mentioned has the most western cowboy atmosphere vibe? In Texas and parts of Wyoming, the deputies wear cowboy hats as part of the culture, is that predominate around parts of AZ?

Sorry to disappoint you, but I think western style wide-brimmed hats are the norm for sheriff departments and state police all around the country, and are not just found in Texas and Wyoming. I don't think I've ever seen a NYS trooper or any deputy sheriff in New York wearing anything but unless they were in riot gear or riding motorcycles and wore helmets.

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

Tucson is 1 part college town, 1 part retiree haven, 1 part illegal immigrant, w/ a semblance of relics of Cowboy history (thanks to the John Wayne movies and Old Tucson Studios) and then places like El Corral and Shooters.

Arizona isn't really all that cowboy, that seemed to die off in most places, including the places named. Phoenix was never really a cowboy town more than it was an Agricultural oasis in the middle of the desert. If we can qualify Ranchers as Cowboys then yes I suppose there were some. Most Cowboy culture in AZ will be in Eastern AZ deserts near places like Safford, Thatcher, Cochise County and a few other places.

I don't know, but the National Western Stock Show event in Denver seems to attract people from all across the country, I've seen people from AZ, TX, WY and such come up here for that. Does Phoenix have something similar?

National Western Stock Show and Rodeo | Find your western spirit!

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by Linda_d

Sorry to disappoint you, but I think western style wide-brimmed hats are the norm for sheriff departments and state police all around the country, and are not just found in Texas and Wyoming. I don't think I've ever seen a NYS trooper or any deputy sheriff in New York wearing anything but unless they were in riot gear or riding motorcycles and wore helmets.

So you don't see this in Arizona? There's people in Wyoming that still have that style.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

I don't know, but the National Western Stock Show event in Denver seems to attract people from all across the country, I've seen people from AZ, TX, WY and such come up here for that. Does Phoenix have something similar?

National Western Stock Show and Rodeo | Find your western spirit!

Phoenix has rodeos, but it isn't engrained in the culture.

Now then there is the Tucson Rodeo where students get an entire week off school and entire sections of the city are shut down.

Tucson Rodeo

It's a BIG deal down there.

[Hschlick84]

I'll have to check that out when I move next year, thanks.

[John7777]

I think Arizona still has somewhat of a cowboy culture. People can still ride around on horses in downtown Scottsdale, right?

When I interviewed for my first job in AZ, the man who interviewed me was wearing a Bolo tie. Anyway, there's more of a cowboy culture in AZ than there is in most other states.

[Packard fan]

"Cowboy" culture. There's a bit near Kingman but that's about it here in Mohave County. Payson has some, too.

[jamies]

Yeah, what Packard said. That's why I changed my location from the "wild west" to "a valley by a river" the west sadly isn't so wild anymore. Thanks a lot California. There's still a handful of cowboys in Mohave County and the AZ Strip. Some of us, gals included, still think we're cowboys, at heart anyway.

At least I've got an old truck with wind up windows and no AC. And I can still ride a horse, d*nm stupid horses... Gimme my rice rocket!

The only cowboys left in Phoenix are the Cartel Cowboys... Sigh.

I remember as a kid the indians would have a big summer rondevous in Flagstaff, you could camp in Zion for free, and the cowboys wore turcoise belt buckles and hats and drove old trucks and still carried six shooters in gun belts. This was about 25 years before plastic guns, real cowboys carried steel and had to get out of the truck in the snow and lock the hubs for 4wd.

I spend a lot of time traveling the western states, there's still a few cowboys left in Woyming, and NW New Mexico, south and SW Colorado, west Utah, don't know about Montana, but the west is shrinking.

And to make matters even worse the Indians dress like cowboys these days.