BY AVERY GOODSTINE for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 8/7/2026
Cowboy hats? Check. Saddle stools? Check. Mechanical bull? Check. You can find all this and more at the Tacoma Emerald Queen Casino’s latest rodeo-themed pop-up bar, as the staff channels their inner bull riders and prepares for the Puyallup Rodeo in September.
The casino’s main-floor Center Bar will be transformed into The Wolf Full Moon Saloon from Friday, July 31, to Saturday, September 19, while EQC acts as the presenting sponsor for the rodeo.
The Puyallup Rodeo will take place September 10–13 as part of the Washington State Fair, which is scheduled to run through most of September. The Puyallup Rodeo has been a Pacific Northwestern tradition for 93 years and is one of the competitions leading up to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. It consists of eight iconic events: bareback riding, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, team roping, tie-down roping, barrel racing, and bull riding.
EQC is partnering with the State Fair and 100.7 The Wolf, a Seattle-based country music radio station, to bring the rodeo fun to Tacoma. While this is the first time all three entities have worked together, Audacy—the company that owns and operates 100.7 The Wolf—and EQC have had a partnership for over 20 years.
“The current 100.7 The Wolf Full Moon Saloon at Emerald Queen Casino is a new initiative this year, designed as a celebration of the long-running Puyallup Rodeo hosted by the Washington State Fair—also a partner of Audacy and Emerald Queen Casino,” wrote Brett Jacobsen, sales project manager for Audacy Seattle.
He added that Audacy’s creative team worked directly with EQC to create the overall concept and design of the saloon, transforming it from a traditional casino bar to a tavern straight out of the American frontier.
The stage is set with wooden rocking chairs illuminated with red and blue lights. A neon 100.7 The Wolf sign adorns one wall, while The Wolf Full Moon Saloon’s western-style logo is displayed on the other. In another corner, a brown-and-white cowhide rug decorates the space, completed by a barrel table and saddle stools. The walls are lined with vintage Puyallup Rodeo posters and artwork of cowgirls riding bucking broncos. There will be live performances by Saltwater Sky Band on September 4, 11, and 12; Sam Dawson Band on September 18; and CJ Hooper on September 19.
Of course, a rodeo-themed bar wouldn’t be complete without a mechanical bull. While guests won’t be able to test their bull-riding skills, it will still be a main visual feature of the bar, highlighted by spotlights and with smoke coming out of its nostrils.
There’s also a special craft cocktail menu, featuring four rodeo-inspired drinks: Ranch Water, The Original Cowboy, a cotton candy-flavored margarita, and a smoked old fashioned.
Brent Fenster, EQC bar shift manager, said bourbon and whiskey seemed like obvious choices to stay on theme, plus tequila, “which everybody loves, even cowboys.”
The ranch water and cotton candy margarita are tequila-based drinks; the margarita is garnished with cotton candy and has a cotton candy-flavored sugar rim. The Original Cowboy is a Pendleton Whisky-based cocktail with lemon juice and simple syrup. The old fashioned, meanwhile, is made with EQC’s own Barrel Select Buffalo Trace Bourbon and will take a trip in the cocktail smoker right before serving, which adds a wood-smoke flavor to the drink. For an extra touch of fun, the margarita and the Original Cowboy are served in boot-shaped mugs.
“If any of the cocktails are highlighted, my guess is that the margarita will get the most selfie pics,” wrote Fenster.
As part of the partnership, 100.7 The Wolf will be promoting the Full Moon Saloon on air and across social media. There will also be special guest appearances from on-air personality Captain Ron, who will meet and greet station listeners and Saloon patrons.
Listeners will get a chance to enter a contest to win an exclusive The Wolf Rodeo Experience at the Puyallup Rodeo and Dancin’ in the Dirt Concert, including transportation via party bus to the Washington State Fair from the EQC Tacoma location.
Captain Ron will be at the Saloon when winners are announced on a to-be-determined date. He will also host festivities with the winners that night and will attend the rodeo and concert on Friday, September 11th.
For additional chances to win tickets to The Wolf Rodeo Experience, listeners can also tune into the Ellen & Aaron show on the 100.7 The Wolf, which runs Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., in late August and early September.
This article paid for by the Emerald Queen Casino
