Maricopa’s beloved Stagecoach Days are coming back to Pacana Park this fall. 

The first ever Stagecoach Days began May 3, 1959, as a celebration of the history of Maricopa Wells, a bygone locale 8 miles north of present-day Maricopa. It began exactly 100 years after the establishment of the Butterfield Overland Express and Mail Company, which transported U.S. mail and passengers from St. Louis to San Francisco. 

The tradition was meant to pay off the debt from building the Rotary Pool. The last full-scale Stagecoach Days was in 2013, and different iterations of it continued until the city canceled the event indefinitely in 2017, citing public interest had fizzled out, and shifted focus to a much younger Merry Copa. 

“Stagecoach Days was once a cherished tradition in Maricopa, and we’re excited to bring it back as part of our lineup of signature events,” Quinn Konold, Maricopa’s community enrichment director, told InMaricopa. “By reintroducing this celebration, we hope to cultivate a deeper sense of community spirit and camaraderie. Longtime residents will recognize the return of beloved traditions, while new ones will offer fresh ways to come together.” 

Elle Ortega, a spokesperson for the city, said today that the event is “still in the early planning stages.” 

Hosting the festivities at Pacana Park, the city’s first municipal park that has recently undergone a slew of upgrades, is “a nod to our roots and a celebration of how far we’ve come,” Ortega said. 

This year’s event will run Oct. 24 to 26. The slate of activities that will take place has not been decided. Regardless, it will likely be a throwback to the events past. 

The first Stagecoach Days featured stagecoach rides, barbecue atop cotton trailers and late-night hoedowns that rocked the old barn into the wee morning hours, according to the Maricopa Historical Society.  

Later would come skydiving, horse racing, gymkhanas, rodeo performances and celebrities such as Amanda “Miss Kitty” Blake of Gunsmoke fame. 

The vision is to bring Stagecoach Days back as an annual event held each year around the time of the city’s incorporation, which is in October, according to Konold.  

“To ensure its success and community-wide support, we’re partnering with a diverse group of local organizations,” he said. “These groups will play a vital role in shaping the celebration — bringing their creativity and passion to life through events and activations leading up to the main celebration.” 

Added Ortega: “It’s all about coming together, just like we did back in the day.”