The Tequila Trot Is Riding Into Downtown Ridgefield This Saturday
Tequila, a poker run, local businesses, and actual horses on Main Street, all to benefit a local horse rescue. Cowgirls and cowboys welcome. Horses welcome. Horses very much not required.
There are towns where someone riding a horse down Main Street to grab a drink would be a news story. Ridgefield is not one of those towns. Ridgefield is the kind of town that looks at that idea and says, "Great, let's put hitching posts outside the businesses and make it an event." And so we have the Tequila Trot, landing in downtown Ridgefield on Saturday, October 10.
The whole thing is organized by The Neighborhood Refuge, and the concept is simple in the best way: grab a ticket, grab your friends, and make your way through downtown stop by stop, picking up poker cards as you go. Arrive on foot or arrive on horseback. Both are completely valid life choices this weekend.
The Details
How the Trot Works
Your ticket gets you three things. First, a commemorative Tequila Trot glass, which you will absolutely keep on a shelf and point to for years. Second, an event map that guides you through all of the participating downtown businesses. Third, your entry into the Poker Run.
If you've never done a poker run, here's the deal. At stops along the route you collect a playing card, and by the end of the afternoon you've built a full hand. Best hand of the day wins a basket stuffed with gift certificates from every single participating business. Which means the prize is basically "a guided tour of downtown Ridgefield, part two, on someone else's dime." Not bad for a deck of cards.
Yes, You Can Bring the Horse
This is the part everyone asks about, so let's just address it. If you have a horse and you've always wanted to ride it into town for a cocktail, this is your moment. There will be designated horse hitches near the participating businesses, so you can tie up and head inside like the main character in a western.
No horse? No problem. Most of us will be showing up in our own two boots, and downtown is very walkable from stop to stop. The organizers were clear on this one: horses are welcome, but absolutely not required. Cowgirl and cowboy energy, on the other hand, is strongly encouraged.
More Than a Good Afternoon
Here's what makes this one worth showing up for: the Tequila Trot is raising support for a local horse rescue nonprofit. So the horses on Main Street aren't just there for the photos. They're kind of the point.
It's also a genuinely great excuse to wander downtown and pop into businesses you've been meaning to try. Every stop on the map is a local shop or spot, and every one of them is chipping in to the prize basket. That's the kind of thing that keeps a small-town downtown alive, and it's exactly why we love it here.
Tequila Trot FAQ
Do I need a horse to participate?
Nope. Horses are welcome but absolutely not required. Most people will be walking from stop to stop.
What's included with a ticket?
A commemorative Tequila Trot glass, an event map of participating businesses, and entry into the Poker Run. General admission is $25.
How does the Poker Run work?
You collect a playing card at stops along the route and build a hand as you go. The guest with the best poker hand wins a basket of gift certificates from every participating business.
Where do horses go?
There will be designated horse hitches near participating businesses throughout downtown.
Who does the event support?
Proceeds support a local horse rescue nonprofit, and the event celebrates the businesses that make downtown Ridgefield what it is.
More from Meanwhile in Ridgefield
So that's your Saturday. Grab a ticket, round up the crew, dust off the boots, and come trot through downtown with the rest of us. And if you see someone hitching a horse outside your favorite shop, wave. That's just Ridgefield being Ridgefield. Tag us in your photos, and if you win that basket, we want to hear about it.
