Monday, July 22, 2013

DAY OF THE COWBOY NEXT SATURDAY, PLUS ‘HELL ON WHEELS’ SNEAK PEEK!



It’s just a week until the Ninth Annual National Day of The Cowboy celebration on Saturday, July 27th, although some folks in Texas and New Hampshire and Washington State just can’t wait -- I thought all the ‘Sooners’ were from Oklahoma!   



On Wednesday, the 17th,  the folks in El Paso held their 4th Annual National Day of the Cowboy Celebration, at the El Paso History Museum. In addition to gunfight reenactments, sack-races, roping demonstrations and the like, they honored not only the cowboys, but the Harvey Girls who helped civilize quite a few of them. 

 

On Saturday, July 20th, the people of Dalton, New Hampshire celebrated The Dalton Gang Annual Day of the Cowboy at the Dalton Gang Range, an event that featured Cowboy Action Shooting, with all proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project.  That same Saturday, Kennewick, Washington held its 3rd Annual National Day of the Cowboy Celebration, focusing on cowboy poetry and music, featuring both local talent and cowpoke bards and musicians from New Mexico and Nevada.

 

Some multi-day events will begin on Friday, July 26th, including the three day celebration at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort in Lost Pines, Texas.  A dizzying array of pioneer and cowboy-themed activities is planned, from scavenger hunts to leather crafts to wagon rides to face painting.   Also, for fans of a cowboy named Woody, all three TOY STORY movies will be screened.  

 

Another three-day event starts on July 26th in Dubois, Wyoming, where you’ll be treated to a rodeo, theatrical shoot-outs and western music.  Dubois, Idaho will have a one-day celebration on that Friday, which will include historical displays, a parade, and an out-house race!

 

The city of Norco, California will celebrate both Saturday and Sunday, and will feature a parade with the flags of all fifty states, Pony Express riders, sled races, a cowboy obstacle course, and a celebrity cow-chip contest.  On Saturday, in Malta, Illinois, they’ll be holding the Northern Illinois Outlaw NDOC Cowboy Shooting Event, with mounted pistol, rifle and shotgun competitions, as well as cowboy games.    The good people of Santa Fe, New Mexico will mark the day with team-roping, barrel racing, arena polo, trick roping and much more. 

 

Sedona, Arizona’s celebration will feature bullwhip-cracking, gunfights, historical reenactments, music, dance and western art.  Flagstaff, Arizona, which in April became the 4th state to make the National Day of the Cowboy a permanent event, will hold a celebration as well.  In Medora, North Dakota, The National Cowboy Hall of Fame will host their celebration, which will feature shoot-outs, music, a trick-roping author, and barbecue.  In Roswell, New Mexico, they’re holding the National Day of the Cowboy Fun Run Jackpots, with lots of rodeo events, from the traditional to goat dressing!  In Victoria, Virginia, there will be The Tom Mix Rangers and other gunfighters, and an 1800s church service reenactment in full period costume.  

 

The Fort Worth, Texas Stockyards will be the site of another celebration.  Wolcottville, Indiana will hold Park Your Horse, with campfires provided, and activities like roping, horse-shoe pitching, a Nerf shooting gallery, and a cap-gun fast-draw competition.  The main event at the Fallbrook, California celebration will be an obstacle challenge.  The event at the Lazy – T Ranch in Manhattan, Kansas will feature cowboy poetry and music, with a focus on yodeling. 

 

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City will focus on the Lone Ranger, with a look at the Museum’s collection of Lone Ranger artifacts, and the first 300 guests will receive a Lone Ranger mask!

 

And at the Autry in Los Angeles, there will be music, a scavenger hunt, square-dancing, gun-slinging and trick roping, western crafts, a pair of Gene Autry movies, and the grand opening of the new Gamble Firearms Gallery. 

 

There are also a couple of purely charitable events as well.  The Evans Feed and Livestock Supply in both Madera and Porterville, California will sponsor as National Day Of The Cowboy Blood Drive, with a free cowboy-themed t-shirt for all donors. 

 

I’m just trying to give you a taste of each event, but there are plenty of details available.  This link -- http://nationaldayofthecowboy.com/wordpress/?post_type=tribe_events&eventDisplay=monthwill connect you to the calendar page of the official National Day of the Cowboy website.  And if you know of any National Day of the Cowboy events that I’ve missed, please share it as a comment, or on our FACEBOOK page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Henrys-Western-Round-up/220413291305490?ref=hl , so we can get the word out! 

 

SNEAK-PEEK AT ‘HELL ON WHEELS’ SEASON 3

 
 
Anson Mount and Common


August 10 will see the very welcome return of the Western series starring Anson Mount, Colm Meaney, and Common, detailing the building of the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, and the private lives of the men and women involved.  Not much has been leaked, story-wise, but the show will introduce at least one new character, a female journalist played by Jennifer Ferrin, who may well become a romantic interest, since Lily, played by Dominique McElligot, was killed off last season.  Here are some stills from the new season:

 
 
Jennifer Ferrin, Colm Meaney, Anson Mount
 

 
Jennifer Ferrin and Robin McLeavy

 

CONTINUING APPEAL OF WESTERNS, FROM ‘THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH’


The Gateway Film Center in Columbus, Ohio recently held their third annual DOUBLE BARREL WESTERNS festival, featuring a wide range of Western films.  Columbus Dispatch Weekender editor Terry Mikesell wrote an article not just about the festival, but about the viability of Westerns in general, and I was pleased to be interviewed.  The festival runs through July 31st,go here for details: http://www.gatewayfilmcenter.com/spotlight-series/double-barrel/

Here is the article: 
 


 
THE WRAP-UP
 
That's it for this week's Round-up!  Hope you can get to one of the National Day Of The Cowboy events this coming weekend, and again, if you know of any events we haven't covered, let me know, so we can spread the word.
 
Happy Trails,
 
Henry
 
All Original Contents Copyright July 2013 by Henry C. Parke - All Rights Reserved

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