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Your Guide to Elko’s National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Your Guide to Elko’s National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

A Speaker at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nev. (Panegyrics of Granovetter/CC BY-SA 2.0)

By Aleza Freeman

January 13, 2025

Head to Elko, Nev. for the 40th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, featuring more than 40 Western poets, musicians, and artists, and dozens of cowboy-related events.

If you live or dream of the cowboy life, there’s a place for you in Elko.

Tickets are still available for the 40th annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering from Jan. 27 to Feb. 1, though a few workshops, shows, and hotels are already sold out.

The cowboy poetry reading events are huge, but that’s only one sliver of the fun. The weeklong event will feature more than 40 Western poets, musicians, and artists and dozens of cowboy-related events for all ages in seven Elko venues, 

A celebration of the American West in Nevada

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering has a four-decade history but cowboys of the American West always wrote poetry. It started in the 1860s with the development of the Transcontinental Railroad. Elko became home to prospectors, buckaroos, and sheepherders, including hundreds from the Basque Country of Spain and France. 

Cowboying was hard work, so the people who tended the land and animals wrote and shared stories. It was a way to express themselves, pass the time during cattle drives, and entertain after work.

In the 1980s, a team of folklorists and cowboy poets—including Sarah Sweetwater, Hal Cannon, and Waddie Mitchell—sought to preserve the art of cowboy poetry for future generations. Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the team searched for cowboy poetry from the 20th century, and they hit a poetry bonanza with relics from throughout the years printed with cowboy poems. They tracked down the poets and, in 1985, launched Elko’s first cowboy poetry competition.

Cannon and Mitchell carry on this tradition today through the nonprofit Western Folklife Center, which produces the cowboy poetry gathering and other arts and cultural events celebrating the rural west.

Many cowboy poets call the Silver State home

Cowboys make the trek to Elko from across the landscape of the American West but some word slingers, singers, musicians, and storytellers call Nevada home.

One of the gathering’s founders, Waddie Mitchell of Jiggs, began reciting poetry after long days on the ranch in his childhood. Along with reciting classic poems and original works, Mitchell will be leading workshops and playing music.

Among the musicians to look out for is the recipient of this year’s Rod McQueary & Sue Wallis scholarship, Western singer-songwriter Melanie LaRue. Born in Baker, she’s a self-professed “desert rat” whose music, words, and art draws inspiration from the working cowboy.

Gary and Kurin Haleamau of Las Vegas will share their roots as Hawaiin cowboys or paniolos during a workshop on slack-key, a style of playing the guitar that originated with ranchers on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Other special guests from Nevada

Guests from Nevada include Jeff Cunningham (Ruby Valley), Richard Elloyan (Virginia City), Doug Groves (Carlin), Jordan Wright (Tuscarora), Fil Carbitt (Reno), Kathryn Dyer (Washoe Valley), Terri McCall Knight (Butte Valley), Jack Malotte (Duck Water), Painted Horse (Duck Valley Indian Reservation), Rodney Mike (Duck Water), James Shoshone (Owyhee), Jordan Wright (Tuscarora), Agee Smith (Wells); Bob Echeverria, Jonelle Nutting, Yolanda Rosales, Dan and Lauren Landa, Sherry Hooper, and Nick Heguy (Elko); Shane Sutton and the Elko County CattleWomen (Elko County).

See the full lineup.

What’s to do at the poetry gathering

The Western Folklife Center describes the event as a “cultural expression of the rangeland West” and “an atmosphere ripe for spontaneous ‘you couldn’t dream this stuff up if you tried’ moments.”

The week includes shows, workshops, educational programs, concerts, documentary films, line dancing, shopping, drinking, and dining related to all things cowboy, from as close as Nevada to as far as Hawaii. 

Reflect on the past, present, and future of cowboys

Legendary cowboy artist Gail Steiger of Arizona’s Spider Ranch will deliver the keynote address, “Why does cowboy poetry matter,” with an introduction by Chief Phillip Whiteman Jr. The Painted Horse drum group and horse dancers will perform.

Share your voice at Open Mic Night

You may not have a spot on the official schedule, but you can still share your voice during Open Mic Nights, including poetry nights, music nights, jam sessions, and nights for reciting the classics. 

Those picked by anonymous ballot as an audience favorite will earn a spot in the “Highlights of the Open Mic” show at the Elko High School Performing Arts Building Auditorium at the end of the week.

Expect a townwide event

Headquartered in the Western Folklife Center (WFC) in the historic Pioneer Hotel building, events occur around town, including the Elko Convention Center and the Elko Conference Center. Event maps are available on the Poetry Gathering website. There is also an official Cowboy Poetry Gathering app. 

What else is there to do in Elko

Elko is not only home to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, but it also hosts the National Basque Festival and Nevada’s oldest rodeo, the Silver State Stampede. 

Located in Nevada’s high desert, halfway between Reno and Salt Lake City, Utah, along Interstate 80, there’s plenty to see around this historic and charming town. 

Art and history

Poppy, pastoral, and picturesque murals adorn the brick buildings in Elko. Along with checking those out, you can absorb Western culture at the Northeastern Nevada Museum and the Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum.

Relive the woes and wins of the pioneering Donner Party and others who made the challenging 2,000-mile trek through Nevada (before 1869) at the California Trail Interpretive Center.

Food and drink

Elko has food options for every budget and taste, from casual to upscale, including coffee shops, bars, delis, bakeries, grills, diners, and fancy restaurants.

With its rich Basque history, you won’t want to miss out on an authentic taste of Basque culture at the family-friendly Star Hotel, serving traditional Basque family-style meals since 1910. 

Modern-day Basque restaurant and bar Toki Ona serves steak and lobster or Basque-style baked lamb paired with refreshing Basque drinks like Picon Punch or Kalimotxo. 

Outdoor recreation

Once described to this writer as a place out of a Hallmark movie, Elko and the surrounding area is a scenic oasis of alpine lakes, streams, and mountain peaks.

If the road is open, the jaw-dropping 12-mile National Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway is only 15 minutes away from Elko. 

The majestic Ruby Mountains have heli-skiing, snowmobiling, snow sledding, and fishing.

Since this is a winter event, the town will be cold and snowy. Be sure to check the weather and pack accordingly. 

Budget-friendly ticket options are available

Ticket options include day passes, three-day deluxe passes, and individual show or workshop tickets.

A day pass ($40) covers one day (Thursday, Friday, or Saturday) of up to 40 daytime events of poetry, music, storytelling, exhibits, demos, open mics, and films. Attend all three days with the deluxe pass ($100). Individual tickets are available for all events.

The gathering has discounts and special options for some attendees. If you pass a “cattle savvy quiz” for working ranchers, you get free day passes and ranch family show tickets. Or, earn your way by volunteering and possibly getting access to free tickets, day passes, or special opportunities. Western Folklife Center members receive a free members’ show ticket and other perks.

Don’t forget to book a room

The Cowboy Poetry Gathering is a popular event, and tickets went on sale in September. Some hotels may already be sold out. Some have promotions during the week.

A quick search of the Thunderbird Motel website in early January shows a standard non-smoking queen room available for all five days with a special 40th Annual Cowboy Poetry promotion. The normal rate of $ 765.00 has been discounted to $596.70. 

The Maverick Hotel & Casino only has vacancies on certain nights, but several promotions are available on the website for those dates. There are also other lodging options, including chains like Ramada, Home2Suites by Hilton, Hampton Inn, and Best Western. 

Do your research, but make it quick! If you run into trouble finding lodging, contact the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority or the Elko Chamber of Commerce.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.Your Guide to Elko’s National Cowboy Poetry GatheringYour Guide to Elko’s National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

  • Aleza Freeman

    Aleza Freeman is a Las Vegas native with two decades of experience writing and editing travel, tourism, and lifestyle stories in Nevada. Her work has appeared in AARP magazine, Haute Living and Nevada Magazine.

CATEGORIES: THINGS TO DO
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