If you're a fan of the rodeo, after hours is your chance to put on your boots and hat and rub shoulders with the stars of the show.
But if you're looking for real cowboys, your best bet is to head to an authentic country bar.
But what makes a genuine country bar?
"A couple of our customers ride their horses here," says Victoria Gonzalez, bar manager at the Branding Iron North. "They tie them up on the side of the building."
The Branding Iron attracts cowboys, she says, and has one of the few mechanical bulls in town.
Cactus Moon is the official bar of the Tucson Rodeo and as such is a popular place for cowboys to hang out. The East Side bar is hosting a concert tonight that will feature four local bands, including the Cochise County All-Stars.
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Cactus Moon manager Rachel Covey says the bar plays two types of music during rodeo week: country and Western.
"We have a great DJ that spins country and top 40 dance music," Covey says. "Mostly country during rodeo week."
Here's a sampling of bars where cowboys have been known to congregate. Mosey on down and check them out. Cactus Moon
5470 E. Broadway
It's usually a country bar, but on Wednesdays it features Top 40 music and draws a young, urban college crowd on the make.
• Food: Typical bar food, including burgers and fries.
• Cover: Wednesday's cover is $5 for guys and $2 for gals. Friday's and Saturday's cover is $5. No cover on Thursdays.
• Specials: They change daily. Wednesday night is ladies night, which means 25-cent drinks for ladies from 8 to 10 p.m. and $1.50 drinks for ladies from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. $4 burger and beer special on Saturdays from 6 to 8 p.m. And many more. Saddlehorn Saloon
6300 E. Tanque Verde Road
The atmosphere is convivial at this East Side hangout, which is sometimes bursting with regulars. The jukebox has a good mix of old and new country songs, from Johnny Cash to Toby Keith.
• Food: Famous for its wings and calamari.
• Cover: None.
• Happy hour: All day every day until 6 p.m. — then prices go up. Before that, you can buy $2 16-ounce drafts, $2.50 domestic bottles. Branding Iron North
2660 W. Ruthrauff Road
A biker/country bar that boasts one of the few mechanical bulls in town. It costs $5 for three rides.
• Food: On Fish Fridays, get two fish tacos with rice and salad for $5. Or fish and chips for $5. Add a Land Shark beer for $2.
• Cover: None.
• Happy hour: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Mondays-Fridays. $2.25 domestic bottles, $2 drafts, $2.25 well drinks, plus daily drink specials. Cow Pony Bar & Grill
6510 E. Tanque Verde Road
A loud and happy place where patrons sometimes get on the bar and dance. Sunday nights, which feature karaoke from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., are the busiest.
• Food: None.
• Cover: None.
• Happy hour: 4-7 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. $2.25 well drinks and domestic bottles. $1.75 pints. $5 domestic pitchers. Maverick King of Clubs
6622 E. Tanque Verde Road
Live music and line dancing is the norm at this watering hole, a longtime favorite for cowboys and cowgirls. Offers rhythm two-step and West Coast swing dancing lessons during the week.
• Food: Standard bar fare including burgers, sandwiches and fish and chips.
• Cover: $5 Thursdays-Saturdays.
• Happy Hour: 4-7 p.m. every night. $1 off wine, well and drafts. All night Wednesdays. Lariat Steakhouse and Saloon
16666 N. Oracle Road, Catalina
• Mood: For nearly 60 years, the Lariat has operated as a country bar, complete with swingin' doors, pool tables and rodeo murals.
• Food: Most popular menu item is steak. Go figure.
• Cover: None.
• Specials: Ladies night is Saturday night, 8 p.m.-2 a.m., and women can buy domestic bottle beers for $2. C-Note
1302 W. Roger Road
The dance floor may be a bit small for all the twirling couples, but these country lovers cheerfully make do. Live music Fridays and Saturdays. Karaoke every night.
• Food: None.
• Cover: None.
• Happy hour: 2-7 p.m. every day: $2 well drinks, you-call-it drinks 50 cents off, vodka drinks are $1.25, small pitchers of beer are $3 and domestic bottles are $1.75. Tiny's Saloon
4900 W. Ajo Way
The saloon will have a DJ or band for rodeo week.
• Food: Most popular item is the steer burger, made with 100 percent pure steer beef.
• Cover: None.
• Happy hour: 4-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Fifty cents off well drinks, 25 cents off drafts.
