Pinal Today

City of Apache Junction issued the following announcement on Dec. 16

Superstition Mountain Promotional Corporation, the AJ Mounted Rangers and the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce have made the decision to cancel our 2021 Lost Dutchman Days Event due to increasing health and safety concerns related to COVID-19. This includes the rodeo, parade, carnival, rodeo dance, and weekend entertainment.

This was not a decision that was come to lightly and we were prepared to take all precautions necessary to move forward with the event. Unfortunately, with Covid-19 conditions dramatically increasing, we feel that it is in the best interest of our committee members, volunteers, attendees, contestants, and our community that we halt plans for our 2021 event. At this time, even with a plan in place, the attendance and event support we would need to hold a successful event is just not there.

“For the safety of our contestants, volunteers, attendees, and the general community, we could not in good faith, host our 2021 event. We are disappointed that this is what it has come to, but with the restrictions in place, it would have made it nearly impossible to achieve our mission, which is ‘Putting Smiles on Kids’ Faces,’” states Rodeo Chairman Denny Walter.

For many in our community, attending our event is a family tradition and represents our western heritage and history.

“We will be coming back stronger than ever and you can expect our 2022 event to be the best it’s ever been. We will rodeo again, as we are dedicated to giving back to the organizations of our community,” Walter says.

What you can expect to see from Lost Dutchman Days this year is the annual golf tournament, taking place on Feb. 6, 2021, at the Apache Creek Golf Course. We will also be hosting our annual Kick-Off Dinner, although it will be a small private event, we are excited to welcome our new Honorary Dutchman, Heritage Award winner, and Rodeo Royalty for our 2021 season. These honorees have worked very hard to get these awards and we want to make sure we celebrate them for their dedication to “Putting Smiles on Kids’ Faces.”

“We know many folks will miss Lost Dutchman Days in 2021,” said Apache Junction Mayor Jeff Serdy. “But we completely understand the need to keep our citizens and visitors safe in this volatile time. Like most residents, I am disappointed that this is happening. We look forward to the 2022 event which will be amazing as we celebrate the centennial of the city’s founding.”

Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to catch all of our event updates moving forward. We are looking forward to hosting several smaller events geared towards our equine/rodeo community so keep an eye out for those. 

Established in 1964, Lost Dutchman Days has been “Putting Smiles on Kids’ Faces” for 57 years. Lost Dutchman Days is a four-day event that includes a rodeo, parade, vendors, a carnival, entertainment, a brat party, a rodeo dance and much more. Our event will return, Feb. 24-27, 2022.

Original source can be found here.

Source: City of Apache Junction