Friday, August 31, 2012

National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Elko, Nevada


The 29th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering —the nation’s greatest celebration of the American West, its people, culture and traditions—will take place January 28 to February 2, 2013, in Elko, Nevada.

Ticket sales for the Gathering begin on September 4 to members of the Western Folklife Center, the nonprofit organization that produces the event, and October 4 to the general public. The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering features performances of poetry and music from the cowboy and ranching occupation, but also presents exhibitions, films, workshops, dances and discussions—all centered on land-based culture in the American West, its traditional arts and the challenges it faces in the 21st century.


The 29th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering will host butteri, cowboys from Italy, who have their own unique poetry, music, gear and traditional techniques, but still have much in common with their counterparts in the American West and cattle cultures across the globe.

The butteri are from the Maremma region of Italy, where they have been raising and herding the large lyre-horned Maremmana cattle for centuries. The Italian cultural exchange is part of the Western Folklife Center’s ongoing effort to build understanding among herding cultures worldwide, and is exclusively sponsored by the E. L. Wiegand Foundation.


The 29th Gathering will present more than 50 poets, musicians and musical groups from the U.S., Canada and Italy, performing on seven stages at four different venues.

The line-up includes cowboy poets Baxter Black, Wally McRae, Paul Zarzyski, Waddie Mitchell, Yvonne Hollenbeck, Joel Nelson, Elizabeth Ebert and many others. Music is as integral to the Gathering as poetry; the musical line-up includes Don Edwards, Tom Russell, The Quebe Sisters Band, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Brenn Hill, Wylie & The Wild West, Dave Stamey, Corb Lund & The Hurtin’ Albertans, Los Texmaniacs, Cowboy Celtic, The Saddle Cats and more. 

The event also features hands-on workshops in traditional western arts such as rawhide braiding and cinch-making as well as songwriting, Italian cooking and rhythm guitar. Three western dances, film screenings, and open-mic poetry and music sessions are also on tap.

Tickets to the 29th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering can be purchased at www.westernfolklife.org, or by stopping in to the Western Folklife Center’s ticket office, 501 Railroad Street, Elko. 

Monday, August 27, 2012

Labor Day Weekend:Relax Train Rides Nevada Northern Railway


Hold on to summer with Labor Day Weekend's Plein-Air Outdoor Arts Festival at Nevada Northern Railway.  Featuring Larry Bute, Cowboy Artist & Illustrator, along with many other talented artists and artisans, creating original artwork on site at the historic railyard.

 Start early by taking a ride on the Meet the Artists Steam Train, Friday, Aug. 31 at 4:30 p.m.  Relax and enjoy this Labor Day Weekend amidst the fresh mountain air of Ely, just 240 miles from Las Vegas & Salt Lake City.
 

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Plein-Air Outdoor Arts Festival Nevada Northern Railway


PLEIN-AIR OUTDOOR ARTS FESTIVAL LABOR DAY WEEKEND AT NNRY

Sept. 1-2, with Meet the Artists Steam Train on Aug. 31

The 2nd Annual Plein-Air Outdoor Arts Festival returns to the Nevada Northern Railway on Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 1-2, and promises to be even better than its debut last year. The event kicks off with a Meet the Artists Steam Train at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31.

General admission to the Arts Festival is just $4 and includes a self-guided tour of the Nevada Northern Railway and Enginehouse (admission is complimentary with train ride). The train ride on Friday is $24/adults and $15/children 4-12, with discounts for locals, members, military and AAA (one discount per person). (There is also a BBQ Train Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. - $52/adults and $25/children, including a souvenir glass). Group rates are also available.

This year’s Arts Festival has been expanded to include craftspeople, in addition to plein-air artists, who will still be the focus of the event. “Plein-air” is a French term used to describe painting outside or in open air. Artists will be creating original works of art on the historic Rail yard, as well as giving demonstrations. There is no charge for an artist to participate.

A variety of renowned artists are scheduled to appear at this year’s Plein-Air Outdoor Arts Festival including, but not limited to: Larry Bute, Colleen Reynolds, John Steinauer, Darl Clark, Larry Campbell and Esther Duncan. More information on these artists and a schedule of events will be forthcoming. The weekend will be a great time to experience fresh art being created amidst the fresh mountain air of Ely, Nevada. It’s a great opportunity to watch artists create original art that will also be available for sale and on display at the Nevada Northern Railway.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Goldfield Days August 17, 18 and 19.


Goldfield Days Celebration & Land Auction!
August 17, 18, & 19, 2012
Parades, Land Auctions, Bus Tours Of Historic Goldfield, Live Music & Street Dancing, Pet Parade, Antiques, Crafts, Food, Beer Garden, Old West Gunfights, Miner's Liar Contest, Horseshoes, Old Fashioned Children's Games, Western BBQ And MUCH, MUCH More

Drawings Include Fabulous Getaways and Prizes! For More Information Contact
The Goldfield Chamber of Commerce
(775) 485-3560
Goldfield, Nevada was born in a hurry, due to the discovery of Gold in 1902, and grew from two miners to over 20,000 people in just six years. Goldfield lost a significant portion of its population by 1910, not because the gold was gone, but because the cost of mining was too great. As the years have gone by, the fabric of Goldfield's history continues to be wrent and torn a little more each year.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Nevada Northern Railway Museum Train Crew Training

Nevada Northern Railway
Ely, NV—If you’ve thought about “workin’ on the railroad, all the livelong day,” now is the time to seize the moment.

Nevada Northern Railway needs volunteers in a variety of capacities – Tour Guides, Narrators and Train

Operators/Train Crew. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved and help this National Historic Landmark; one of  Nevada’s six favorite treasures, now featured on the cover of Nevada Magazine

Sat., Aug. 18 is an opportunity to find out more. The free annual Safety Training Session runs about a day
and a half, through Sunday afternoon, Aug. 19. A continental breakfast is offered at 8 a.m. each morning. The Saturday

Class is taught in the Waiting Room of the Nevada Northern Railway (through the Gift Shop). The Sunday
morning class is largely out in the yard. The session ends with a test of the materials.

After one passes, he/she is  eligible to start training on train service – from Fireman and Brakeman to Engineer and Conductor. It is not necessary to   take the training class to be a tour guide, narrator or concessionaire.

Whatever one’s interest, there is certainly a volunteer opportunity available to accommodate it. There is no
major time commitment required – whether a few hours, a few weeks or more, regularly or on call. Any time and effort  will help keep the railroad alive and certainly be most appreciated by all concerned – and make a difference.

One doesn’t need to live in Ely to volunteer with the Nevada Northern Railway.

Friday, January 13, 2012

28th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Elko, Nevada—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, a high desert community where ranching has been a way of life for more than a century. The poetry, music, workshops, films, discussions, exhibits and dances that compose the Gathering honor Elko and other rural communities across the West where people work on horseback.

With its strong horse and cattle culture, Elko is a natural place for this celebration. “People always wonder why we hold this event in such an out-of-the-way place at such an inhospitable time of the year,” says Charlie Seemann, Executive Director of the Western Folklife Center, which produces the Gathering. “It’s when ranchers and cowboys are the most available. At other times of the year, they are calving, haying or shipping. This is their event and we want them to be here…and the journey to Elko is part of the experience.”

Once they arrive in Elko, visitors will find an old-time western town with real working cowboys, and much more. The town has a thriving Basque culture and several famous Basque restaurants, all-night casinos, legal brothels, some of the largest gold mines in the world, and incredible views in every direction. “Elko during theNational Cowboy Poetry Gathering is an experience like no other,” explains Don Newman, Executive Director of the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority. “This little town comes alive with people. You can listen to an incredible musician one minute and find yourself sitting next to him or her at the bar swapping stories the next. In addition to the entertainment, people come to the Gathering to make new friends, drink Basque Picon Punch, eat the biggest steak and the best lamb they’ve ever had, shop, people-watch, and have an experience they’ll never forget. And they almost always come back for more.”