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.”
