16th Cowboy Poetry Gathering

The 16th Annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering, offers an open poetry forum and a melange of other activities, including seminars such as blacksmithing, photography, horsehair hitching, rawhide braiding, ranch cooking, fancy knots and rope halters, etc.
At a wild horse taming exhibition observers watched in awed silence as Bryan Neubert handled a wild four-year-old mare. The mare was one of two wild horses captured the previous day.
The event, sponsored by Elko’s Great Basin College, provides information about wild horse adoption, the only legal way the Bureau of Land Management can reduce the horse population. Nevada, contains more than half of the wild horse population in the U.S.
Elko County home boy, Waddie Mitchell, performed his prose at the Western Folklife Center’s G Three Bar Theater. Waddie, whose mustache handles nearly reach the brim of his ten-gallon hat, is one of the local cowboys who organized the first Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
“Follow the Cowtrail,” an original stage review, provided poignant evening of poetry, story and song from a body of work by the late Buck Ramsey.

Quick Tips:

Make room reservations at least 6 months ahead, the town's hotels and motels fill up fast!

Best Way To Get Around:

The majority of the events are in the downtown area, if you stay in the downtown area you can walk.

Clean, spacious rooms in this newer hotel. Non-smoking rooms available. There is a great restaurant (try the buffet) and bar on-site! The hotel has a shuttle to other area casinos.

This is one of the newest motels in town with 51 rooms and suites. Ammenities include a sauna, spa, indoor pool, exercise room, free deluxe breakfast, free local calls, copy and fax service, guest laundry, truck and RV parking. Each room has a VCR, microwave, refrigerator, iron and ironing board.

This Elko landmark offers 141 clean and comfortable rooms. On the premises is a full service gaming casino (Slots, Keno, Sports Book, Roulette and Blackjack), meeting and banquet facilities, covered parking, swimming pool and a 24-hour coffee shop. There is entertainment nightly in the lounge.

Since 1929 the Capriola Company has been a hallmark of quality and service. They feature 71 years of experienced saddle and leather crafters. This is also the home of Garcia bits and spurs. Capriola's sponsors the Cowboy Poetry Gathering and many other local events. Open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm and Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. The phone number is (775) 738-5816. Look for the Red Horse atop the store!

Located in the historic Pioneer Hotel on the corner of Railroad and Fifth Streets, the Western Folklife Center is the happening place during the annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Obtain your tickets for the Gathering here. There is an exhibit gallery with ranch hand and ranch style artifact used by modern-day cowboys. A gift shop features unique music, books and souvenirs. Year round visiting hours of the Center are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. Admission is free. Call 775-738-7508 or visit their website at www.westernfolk.org