Moon Dog Wild West is celebrating the second anniversary of its opening in the heart of Footscray, with its 600,000th cowboy/patron walking through the door last week.

With a sweeping open canyon throughout the venue, Moon Dog Wild West spans three levels, features more than 100 craft beer taps and fits up to 800 patrons. Entry is via swinging saloon doors on the ground floor where the largest bar of the venue lays and a bucking bull stands as the centrepiece. 

Running just as strong as day one, Moon Dog Wild West has cemented itself as one of Melbourne’s most iconic party destinations and is commemorating turning two with a celebration on May 9 featuring DJs, deals, country music powerhouse Henry Wagons and a free line dancing class run by Disco Rodeo.

Sales and Marketing Director Brook Hornung said: “We’re incredibly proud to be celebrating two years since we first opened our doors.

“This year we’re looking forward to connecting more with our Footscray community, hosting more kick-ass events, and ramping up the fun. We’ve loved operating in Footscray, and being part of the growing nightlife here. Moon Dog Wild West is one of our busiest venues on Friday and Saturday nights, and it’s been awesome to see it grow.” 

As for the venue’s wild-west theme, Hornung said it had played a key role in its success and contributed to a growing excitement around the

“It’s no secret that ‘wild west’ is trending right now. We designed our venue purely because we loved the idea of having a Wild West themed venue, but we were really blown away with how popular the theme has been,” Hornung said.

“And now it’s a huge cultural moment with cowboy boots, cowboy hats, rodeos and bucking bulls having their time in the spotlight – we’re lucky that this is everything that our venue promises and more. Our patrons can dress up and play cowboys/cowgirls/cowfolks for the night, which as it turns out is incredibly fun.

“Thanks to everyone who’s been part of our journey and walked through the Moon Dog Wild West doors!”