Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Travel Nevada
Celebration of cowboy culture draws thousands to hear prose, music and tales from the West
Alberta singer-songwriter Ian Tyson shows no signs of slowing down. At 83, the Member of the Order of Canada still tours, belting out some of the best known Western songs of all time including, "Navajo Rug", "Summer Wages" and “Four Strong Winds”. Tyson is returning to Elko, Nevada, to share his music at the 33rd National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, January 30 to February 4, 2017.
Did you know the roots of today’s cowboy music come from the Irish, Scottish and Welsh buckaroos who came to the West for a better life? That’s where Canada’s Cowboy Celtic comes in. The band draws on the past, adding a modern twist. Their mixture of harp, mandolin, fiddle and vocals blend into a genre the band says contains a mix of “sagebrush and tartan”.
Corb Lund is a gathering favourite. The singer comes from four generations of Southern Alberta ranchers and cowboys. Now living in Edmonton, Lund’s music still reflects a childhood spent on horseback in the foothills of the Rockies.
Of course poets and storytellers play starring roles at the Gathering and Alberta’s award-winning Doris Daley, one of the top cowboy poets in North America, will be performing on stage. In 2004, she was named Best Female Cowboy Poet by the Academy of Western Artists. Daley regularly performs at cowboy festivals throughout the United States and Canada.
This year’s theme is “Real Stories. Straight up.” Click here for more information about the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
Before you go, visit www.exploreelko.com and travelnevada.ca