The 65th annual Fort Verde Days will be held Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 9 and 10. This two-day event kicks off on Saturday with a parade at 10 a.m. featuring long-time community members Dick and Brenda Hauser as the Grand Marshals.
Desert Life is the theme of this year’s parade, led as always by the Camp Verde Cavalry escorting the Colonel’s Daughter and her court. The parade starts behind Bashas’ Supermarket on Finnie Flat Road and continues up the hill onto Main Street passing through the center of town and then onto General Crook Trail to finish. Main Street will be closed during the parade.
With plenty of vendors, nonprofits and food trucks along with live bands, there is lots to do on the event field in downtown as well as inside the community gym.
This free admission event will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Saturday bands include Aaron McCall from noon to 2 p.m.; Peaceful Outlaws from 3 to 5 p.m.; and Swamp Poets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday has the Seth Brown Band onstage from 1 to 3 p.m. New this year will be the Adventure Zone both days, featuring two inflatable obstacle courses, challenge games including jousting and a bungee ball race, and more, all with a $7 bracelet. There will also be a pony carousel ride for $3.
Fort Verde Days has functioned as an unofficial homecoming event for the community that grew around historic Fort Verde. Preserved now as a State Historic Park, Fort Verde will be free to the public and filled with re-enactors, historic displays and other events for the weekend.
The Questors will be selling pickles and offering tours of the historic Hance House at the far end of the Fort Parade Grounds. The annual benefit Pancake Breakfast for the Kiwanis Club of Camp Verde returns on Saturday morning at 7 a.m. in the Redinger Ramada on Hollamon Street. T
he Camp Verde High School Booster Club will be raising funds for several sports with hamburgers and hot dogs for sale plus a football toss fundraiser. At 2 p.m., awards for the parade entries, Little Britches/Little Petticoats and the Colonel’s Daughter will be on the stage on the event field.
Normally, Fort Verde Days features a carnival, but this year that is not happening.
“Our previous carnival had some legal problems around tax payments as well as a charge of human trafficking in Utah, and we could not in good conscience contract with them,” Parks & Recreation Manager Michael Marshall said.
Since schedules for carnivals are set well in advance, a replacement company was unavailable.
As partial compensation, Parks & Recreation rented a large number of inflatable activities and contracted with a vendor to provide a pony carousel ride.
“It was a big disappointment to us and we are trying to do what we can to have more opportunities for fun,” Marshall said.
Contact Camp Verde Parks & Recreation at 395 S. Main St., parks@campverde.az.gov, 554-0820 Option 3 or visitcampverde.com/events for more information.
Fort Verde Days Schedule
Friday, Oct. 8:
Fort Verde Days Rodeo
Camp Verde Equestrian Center, 1495 E. Hideout Arena Lane
- 4 p.m.: Gates open
- 5:30 p.m.: Youth Rodeo
- 7 p.m.: Rodeo
Tickets:
- Adult $15
- Children, 6 to 18, $10
- Children 5 and younger free
Saturday, Oct. 9:
- All Day: Cannon and Dutch Oven Cooking Demonstrations, live entertainment
- 7 a.m.: Kiwanis Breakfast, Redinger Ramada
- 9 a.m.: Flag Raising Ceremony, Parade Grounds
- 10 a.m.: Fort Verde Days Parade, Main Street
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Arizona Artist Blacksmith Association Demo, 1933 Rock Jail
- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: 1933 Rock Jail Open, Hollamon Street
- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Vendors & Beer Garden, Community Center Field
- 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Questers’ Pies and Pickles Sales, Hance House
- 11:30 a.m.: Presentation of Colonel’s Daughter/Horse, Parade Grounds
- 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Hance House Open, Hance House
- Noon: John Yazzie: The Attack on Fort Defiance, Commanding Officer’s Quarters [Fought Aug. 30, 1860, between the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment and members of the Navajo]
- 1 p.m.: Dr. Sam Palmer: “The Battle of Big Dry Wash”, Museum Building, Commanding Officer’s Quarters [Fought July 17, 1882, between the U.S. Army’s 3rd Cavalry Regiment and 6th Cavalry Regiment and members of the White Mountain Apache tribe]
- 2 p.m.: Presentation of Parade Winners, Community Center Field Stage
- 2 p.m.: Little Britches/Little Petticoats Awards, Community Center Field Stage
- 2 p.m.: Jerry Geronimo Martin: Presentation, Museum Building, Commanding Officer’s Quarters
- 2 p.m.: Fashion Show: A Little Bit of This and That, Commanding Officer’s Quarters
- 2:30 p.m.: Award of Colonel’s Daughter, Community Center Field Stage
- 4:30 p.m.: Flag Retreat Ceremony: Military Cannon, Parade Grounds
Fort Verde Days Rodeo
Camp Verde Equestrian Center, 1495 E. Hideout Arena Lane
- 4 p.m.: Gates open
- 5:30 p.m.: Youth Rodeo
- 7 p.m.: Rodeo
Tickets:
- Adult $15
- Children, 6 to 18, $10
- Children 5 and younger free
Sunday, Oct. 10:
- All Day: Cannon and Dutch Oven Cooking Demonstrations, live entertainment
- 9 a.m.: Flag raising ceremony, Parade Grounds
- 9:30 a.m.: All Available Units-Drill, Parade Grounds
- 10 a.m.: Period Church Services, Commanding Officer’s Quarters
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Camp Historical Society, Hance House
- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: 1933 Rock Jail Open, Hollamon Street
- 11 a.m.: John Yazzie: The Attack on Fort Defiance, Commanding Officer’s Quarters
- Noon: Dutch Oven Lunch (By Donation), Cook’s Shack
- Noon to 4 p.m.: Vendors & Beer Garden, Community Center Field
- 1 p.m.: Dr. Sam Palmer: “The Battle of Big Dry Wash,” Museum Building. [Fought July 17, 1882, between the U.S. Army’s 3rd Cavalry Regiment and 6th Cavalry Regiment and members of the White Mountain Apache tribe]
- 1 to 3 p.m.: Seth Brown Band, Main Stage
- 1:30 p.m.: Drill, As Available, Parade Grounds
- 2 p.m.: Flag Retreat Ceremony, Parade Grounds
