Dodge City Days

Dodge City Days

Late July through early August

Dodge City's name alone is enough to conjure up memories of the Old West for the residents of Kansas and the surrounding states who come here to celebrate Dodge City Days every summer. Held annually in late July and early August, the main purpose of the festival is to keep the area's history alive. There are staged shootouts between "Marshal Dillon" and the bad guys, a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeo, a horse show, and parades featuring costumed characters from the Old West on horseback.
First held in 1960, Dodge City Days now attracts crowds of up to 50,000—most of whom are tourists. In recent years the festival has featured entertainment by top country-and-western music stars, and the events have expanded to include a golf tournament, auto racing, and other decidedly non-traditional activities that have little to do with Dodge City's Old West heritage.

CONTACTS:
Dodge City Area Chamber of Commerce
311 W. Spruce
P.O. Box 939
Dodge City, KS 67801
316-227-3119; fax: 316-227-2957
www.dodgecitychamber.com

SOURCES:
GdUSFest-1984, p. 60