Western Day on Facebook: facebook.com/WesternDays
The event known today as Valley Center Western Days has its origin in 1950 when the community staged a Country Fair. Here is a chronology of the event and its various names as they appear in the Western Days archive at the Valley Center Historical Society.
1950-1960 Valley Center Country Fair
1961 name change: Western Week (sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and Vaqueros)
1963-1965 Western Days name is used for some events during Western Week.
1966 name change: Western Days Country Festival
1967 name change: Country Fair
1968 name change: Western Days
1970 The first parade was held
1971 First grand marshal
1980 The current name of Valley Center Western Days was adopted
2000 Western Days celebrated its 50th anniversary
2002 Rodeo was added; separated from Western Days in 2016
2016 Valley Center Western Days, Inc. Non-Profit forms
2021 Celebration held on July 4th – First large event in San Diego County post-COVID
2025 Western Days celebrated its 75th anniversary