National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

The 28th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering—the nation’s greatest celebration of the American West, its people, culture and traditions—will take place January 30 to February 4, 2012, in Elko, Nevada. The Gathering is as much about the music of the West as it is about its poetry, and this year’s event boasts an impressive line-up of musical icons including Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Ian Tyson, Michael Martin Murphey, Mike Beck and the Bohemian Saints, Martha Scanlan, Stephanie Davis, Wylie & The Wild West, Canada’s Tim Hus and the Rocky Mountain Two, Austin’s Hot Club of Cowtown and many more.

“Music has always been essential to the cowboy way of life,” explains Hal Cannon, Founding Director of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering and an accomplished musician and songwriter. "But the fact is, today's cowboys not only sing to their cattle as they herd them along but they also need to express in song what it has meant to their livelihood to share the range with dirt bikes, condo developers and coalbed methane exploration. At the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, we strive to present western music that is grounded in tradition, both celebrating the romance and the hard realities of the life. This Gathering is about ranching but at its heart it’s about being a westerner in the 21st century, no matter whether you are urban, rural, young or not so young.”

Every winter for the last 27 years, rural and urban people have joined with cowboys and ranchers in the small high desert community of Elko, Nevada, to listen to poetry and music, learn about cowboy culture in the U.S. and around the world, experience great art, watch western films, learn a craft, play music, gather to eat, drink, swap stories and dance the night away. Open-mic sessions, music jams, dances and dance lessons offer opportunities for everyone to participate. The 28th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering will feature nearly 50 poets, musicians and musical groups from the U.S., Canada and Australia, performing on seven stages at four different venues. Programs at the 28th Gathering will focus on the southwestern United States, specifically Arizona and New Mexico—which are celebrating their centennials next year.

Civil War Days Virginia City Nevada

The historic mining camp of Virginia City, Nevada celebrates the Civil War every Labor Day weekend. The sesquicentennial of the beginning of the Civil War has prompted a fuller offering of Civil War-related events September 2 through 5, 2011.  Visitors may view re-enactors at field camps, parades, battle demonstrations, train hold-ups, a Victorian high tea, Victorian dance, and this year, the staged reading of the epic Stephen Vincent Benet poem, John Brown’s Body with professional cast. The weekend provides fine family fare that educates as well as entertains. The historical background to Civil War events, as well as the reality of the soldier’s life, create a well-rounded vision of this defining moment in American history. 

The Comstock Civil War re-enactors are the only regional group to use cannons in their staged battles and have partnered with the Virginia and Truckee Railroad to create a hold-up and ensuing battle with Confederate and Union troops. Guests can watch from the train (Adults $22; Children $10) or on the siding. Many events are free. More about Virginia City Nevada

Nevada State Railroad Museum Bolder City

The Nevada State Railroad Museum provides train rides departing from the Nevada Southern Railway Museum, and the Boulder City Depot. Its seven miles round trip and lasts about 45 minutes. Traveling along the recently revitalized and historic Boulder Branch Line, the train will deliver its passengers out to Railroad Pass which is located within the River Mountain Range. The trains are Pullman Coaches which date back to 1911. For those passengers with special needs, an ADA/handicapped coach with a lift for wheelchairs is available. Open for business every Saturday and Sunday, trains depart at 10 AM, 11:30 AM, 1 PM and 2:30 PM. Ticket prices are a modest $10 for adults and $5 for children.

2011 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Elko, Nevada—Hard work, scarce pay, lonesome nights, heartbreak and death—common themes of the blues and of the songs, poems and stories of the cowboy. Cowboy culture is a blend of traditions and influences; blues and other African American cultural traditions have been a major influence on the evolution of western music. The 27^th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, January 24-29, in Elko, Nevada, will explore the connections between traditional cowboy and western music and traditional African American blues music.

Among the blues programs at the Gathering, legendary folk singer Ramblin' Jack Elliott will perform music from his GRAMMY Award-winning album, A Stranger Here. After last year's Gathering, Jack headed to Los Angeles to receive the GRAMMY Award for Best Traditional Blues Recording for A Stranger Here. At this Gathering, Jack will share a sampling of this blues music—all pre-World War II tunes that Jack loved. He will be joined by a few of the revered musicians featured on his award-winning album, including pianist Van Dyke Parks.

Zydeco music is a synthesis of traditional Creole, Cajun and African-American music including R&B, blues, jazz and gospel. Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie will perform their special brand of foot-stompin' zydeco from the bayou country of southwest Louisiana. And Sourdough Slim and Robert Armstrong will present blues and old-time music reminiscent of the 1920s and 30s, including Jimmie Rodgers songs.

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is the nation's largest annual celebration of cowboy culture. For six days in January the community of Elko welcomes thousands of cowboys and cowgirls, poets and musicians, artisans and scholars, rural and city people—all of whom share a love of the American West and the artistic traditions of ranching and cowboy culture. More than 60 poets and musicians from the U.S., Canada, Australia and Hungary will perform on eight stages at five different venues throughout Elko. Additional highlights include cowboys from Hungary, the Marshall Ford Swing Band (featuring Emily Gimble, granddaughter of Texas fiddle legend Johnny Gimble), Ian Tyson, The Quebe Sisters, Wylie and the Wild West, and renowned cowboy poets Waddie Mitchell, Baxter Black and Wallace McRae. Tickets to the 27^th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering can be purchased online at www.westernfolklife.org or by calling 888-880-5885.