City-Building Meets Music: The Thrilling Return of the Wild West Music Fest

The Phoenix area’s event calendar overflowed this weekend, and Maricopa showcased its own excitement with the second annual Wild West Music Fest.

The festival, which celebrated a blend of country and hip-hop, proceeded smoothly according to city officials. They reported no significant incidents beyond what was recorded earlier in the event. “We’re happy to share there were no police or fire incidents,” spokesperson Monica Williams stated.

Held at Copper Sky Regional Park, the festival featured headliners LeAnn Rimes and Baby Bash, who replaced Sean Kingston at the last minute. Attendees reported short queues for both traffic and ticket sales throughout the weekend.

Among the festival-goers were Mark McGinnis and Nicole Nelson, who shared their joy on the Super Shot carnival ride. “I think the event’s going great,” McGinnis said, reflecting on the festival’s improvement over past years.

City officials noted they did not yet have preliminary statistics on attendance, ticket sales, or the overall economic impact. “We look forward to sharing this information when it becomes available,” Williams added.

Feedback from attendees was generally positive, with many praising the event’s organization. However, some noted that it was moderately attended, possibly affected by concurrent events such as Arizona Bike Week and the Maricopa County Fair.

Creola Brown, a resident from Glennwilde, remarked, “It was a lot of stuff going on this weekend. They should grow the festival’s popularity and then raise the price.” Ticket prices, which started at $30, were reduced to $15, and by Sunday, tickets were given away for free.

Brown expressed concern about pricing, suggesting it could hinder future success. “That promoter was trying to be greedy,” she stated, emphasizing the need for a more sustainable pricing model.

The city, in collaboration with the event promoter, plans to establish Wild West Music Fest as an annual event. Funding will primarily come from bed taxes, which are not imposed on Maricopa residents. “Now it’s time to actually build something that sustains,” said Steve LeVine, CEO of SLE.

Contributions to this report were made by Elias Weiss and Brian Petersheim Jr.