Colorado is famed for its cowboy tradition; Mexican and Spanish vaqueros introduced their ranching traditions right here within the nineteenth century, and on the coronary heart of the scene was Denver, whose railroad connections made the town a significant cowtown hub. Today, the town’s Stetson-wearing heritage lives on in every thing from its vogue to its meals, providing a vibrant, immersive expertise for anybody eager to get caught into its tradition and historical past. Here are the perfect ways to expertise a slice of the Mile High City’s Old West aspect.
Giddy up for the rodeos
Nothing showcases Denver’s cowboy tradition just like the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo. Held throughout 16 days in January on the National Western Complex, this extravaganza has been a convention since 1906, with equestrian exhibits, Mexican rodeos, cowboy-themed meals and Colorado’s largest agricultural commerce present drawing greater than 600,000 spectators to the town. The occasion kicks off with a vibrant parade by way of downtown Denver that includes dwell bands, Old West wagons and nation gear aplenty. Music erupts from close by venues all through the present, whereas eating places placed on particular cowboy-inspired menus. Expect a buzzing competition vibe as you step into this fascinating world.
Experience the thunder of the National Western Stock Show and rodeo
Credit: National Western Stock Show
Catch dwell Western music
It’s not solely throughout the rodeo that you simply’ll discover Western performers taking to the phases; Denver’s slew of honky tonks and live performance venues play host to dwell music year-round. Don’t miss Grizzly Rose the place you may catch well-known nation acts or participate in line-dancing courses.
The Mission Ballroom, Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom and Bluebird Theatre every host their very own flurry of gigs spanning nation to rock, and Globe Hall is thought for its barbecue and dwell music nights. Head to Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox for nation and different genres, or cease by the cowboy-themed bar Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row to sip a craft beer or whiskey with a dwell nation band for leisure.
Whether you’re hitting the dancefloor at Grizzly Rose or catching a gig at Globe Hall, Denver’s soundtrack is legendary
Credit: Julianne Photography
Tuck into cowboy-inspired delicacies
If you’d moderately style your manner round Denver’s Old West scene, myriad saloons and steakhouses honour the area’s heritage. Buckhorn Exchange is the oldest restaurant within the metropolis, opened in 1893 by Henry H Zietz, one among Buffalo Bill’s scouts. Today, this storied spot serves steak, Rocky Mountain oysters, buffalo, elk and different wild recreation between dark-wood furnishings and partitions adorned with memorabilia.
Atmospheric differently is acclaimed restaurant The Fort, half an hour’s drive from downtown. Set among the many desert rocks, it’s designed to replicate an 1830s adobe fur-trade fort with varied cowboy-themed creations. Try the peanut butter-stuffed jalapeños escabeche or tuck into “cowboy empanadas” (fajitas crammed with black beans, rice and peppers).
From the structure to the genuine cowboy empanadas, each element at The Fort tells a narrative
Credit: Tru Blu Images
Delve into Old West historical past
If you’ve had your fill of cowboy-themed leisure and meals, head to one of many metropolis’s museums to dig a bit deeper. The History Colorado Center is a superb place to begin with its interactive displays, whereas the American Museum of Western Art showcases frontier-inspired works from the early nineteenth century to the current day.
See the Wild West by way of a distinct lens on the American Museum of Western Art
The Black American West Museum & Heritage Center affords an intriguing snapshot of the function African-Americans performed within the growth of Colorado and the West, with artefacts and displays celebrating a legacy typically not depicted in Hollywood Westerns. Just exterior the town, Four Mile Historic Park affords immersive, family-friendly guided excursions tracing Colorado’s frontier historical past on the positioning of a former wayside inn. The Buffalo Bill Grave and Museum, on the prime of Lookout Mountain, gives a peek into the lifetime of this notorious Wild West determine.
Take residence a memento
If you need to look the half – and produce residence a cowboy hat or two – Denver is large on Western put on outlets. Rockmount Ranch Wear, within the stylish LoDo neighbourhood, must be first in your listing. Late CEO and real-life cowboy Jack A Weil invented the Western snapbutton shirt right here in 1946. Today, the store sits within the previous manufacturing constructing and affords checked shirts, boots, hats and denim aplenty, alongside an fascinating museum. Elsewhere, Mile High Western Wear serves handcrafted boots, hats and equipment, Rancher Hat Bar affords custom-made cowboy hats in each color, and Tecovas shares a variety of shoes and different attire.
From the unique red-brick partitions to the classic stitching machines, Rockmount Ranch Wear is half-boutique, half-museum
Credit: Courtesy of Rockmount
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