“The West’s Most Western Town.” There’s some debate on when exactly that phrase was first coined and by who. Paul Messinger, a Scottsdale Historian, claims the city’s first mayor Malcolm White adopted the phrase for the newly incorporated town’s motto when he took office in 1951. However, a report from the Arizona Republic says that city documents reveal that the Chamber of Commerce used the phrase a full four years earlier in 1947.

Regardless of where the phrase came from, there’s no denying that Scottsdale overflows with Western history. And that history influences so much in and around the city. From Old Town with its cowboy motifs and historical building facades to the aptly named event space in north Scottsdale, West World, the idea of a Western Town permeates through nearly every mile. Every year, Scottsdale goes the extra mile to host its Western Week, featuring events like the Hash Knife Pony Express Arrival held at the Western Spirit museum and culminating in the 71st annual celebration of all things Western, the city-wide Parada Del Sol and Trail’s End Festival.