Native American Grass Dancer at Old West Pow Wow, 1992. Photo courtesy Old West Days

Cowboy Poetry Gathering (Old West Days)

This four-day event is held the first weekend in October in Valentine, Nebraska. Daytime poetry reading sessions are free and open to anyone with a poem to read or a song to sing. Participants need not have cowboy backgrounds, but there is always a contingent of authentic cowboy poets eager to share their experiences through poetry. Featured professional poets and musicians are heard in two evening performances, and there is a music and yodeling performance Saturday afternoon. A special children's poetry reading is held, along with a workshop in western culture for children. Other featured events include an old-fashioned melodrama performance, a Native American powwow, a western art and trade show, a display of bit and spur collections, a mountain man rendezvous, an all-horse parade, and a trail ride. Held since 1992, the celebration is documented in text, photographs, an audio tape, promotional materials, and souvenir bandanas.

Originally submitted by: J. Robert Kerrey, Senator.

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