National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Celebrates 35 Years

Image courtesy of Jessica Brandi Lifland

By Staff of Nevada Humanities

At the end of January, the Western Folklife Center in Elko will host the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering on January 28-February 2, 2019. Nevada Humanities has proudly supported the Gathering every year—now in its 35th season!
 

The Gathering is not your average festival. This is a weeklong festival of poetry, music, and cultural arts, with workshops beginning on Sunday, January 28, and a wide range of events happening day and night throughout the week at the Western Folklife Center, the Elko Convention Center, and other sites in Elko. This year the Gathering is celebrating its 35th anniversary. According to the Gathering organizers, “we’ll be revisiting our past and charting our course for the future. Come reminisce with us as we remember our roots and refine our routes forward!” A wide array of events, performances, and workshops will be taking place to pique your interest.
 

Each year Nevada Humanities supports the event’s Keynote Address, which sets the tone for the Gathering. This year’s Keynote features musician, composer, and founding director Hal Cannon and how he brought people together in 1985 to create the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Don’t miss this Keynote Address on Thursday, January 31, at 9:15 am at the Elko Convention Center Auditorium.
 

We are excited to catch the following Nevada Humanities-funded talks and workshops. Carson Vaughan’s talk on January 31 at noon will explore “What is ‘Rural Journalism?’” and survey the role of rural journalism in America today. Hal Cannon will delve into the culture treasure that is the Gathering through a media rich talk at 1:15 pm on January 31. On February 1 and 2 “Reporting Stories from the Rural West: The State of Journalism” is a conversation on the future of rural journalism and includes a panel of journalists who will share their stories and the challenges of reporting and representing the “rural west.”
 

What event are you hoping to catch? We hope to see you at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko. Click here for a schedule of the Gathering events.