The Kamloops Cowboy Festival is about to celebrate its 20th year on Mar. 17 - 20.
This is the largest Cowboy Festival in Canada, and one of the largest in North America.
It is a four day celebration of western heritage that showcases the best in cowboy poetry and western music, as well as cowboy artists and artisans.
The Cowboy Festival weekend of entertainment begins with jam sessions and a kick-off party Thursday night and then goes almost non-stop all weekend.
There will be three stages offering Cowboy Poetry and Western Music each day from noon until evening.
On Friday and Saturday nights, guests have a choice between main stage concerts at the Calvary Community Church, or dinner theatre shows at the Kamloops Convention Centre.
Cowboy Church on Sunday morning at the Calvary Community Church is always very popular, followed by another day of great entertainment.
The Spirit of the West Rising Star Showcase has been a great success with an incredible amount of talent taking part - so much talent that for 2016 they have picked the winner of last year’s showcase to perform on the main stage!
The contests will once again be split into two groups. There will be a section for poets and a section for musicians. These Rising Stars will be performing throughout the weekend and the six finalists will be showcased on main stage Sunday afternoon.
If you are interested in being part of The Spirit of the West Rising Star Showcase go to the Rising Star Showcase page, at: www.bcchs.com.
The Western Art and Gear Show runs all weekend long, displaying a wide range of artwork and custom-made cowboy equipment. The goal of this event is to showcase the art of the West in all its forms and all its locales, and in doing so, become one of the premier Western art shows in Canada. This year, the show will feature flat work in all mediums, photography, and sculpture. There will be a variety of booths selling and taking orders for saddles and leather work, western clothing, cowboy hats, books, jewelry, lots of art, bronzes, and some educational booths.
A series of seminars and workshops are also offered over the weekend with some top named entertainers and artisans facilitating. The lineup includes: Gary Fjellgaard - song writing, Ed Peekeekoot - guitar picking, Mike Miltimore - what makes a great guitar, Nathan Tinkham - guitar playing, Andy Knight - Let’s Talk Saddles, Daniel Gordon on Cowboy Boots, Jim McLennan re: guitar playing as back up, Horse Crazy on harmony, Jinglebob Music re: how to make a record, and Cowboy hat history and custom hat building.
This is a fantastic opportunity to experience the talent and the great activities offered for the whole family, couples, kids and grandparents to.
Remember to wear your blue jeans, hats and boots, meet new friends, smile a lot, and have a toe-tapping, hand-clapping good time!
Tickets for the Kamloops Cowboy Festival are available at:
• The Horse Barn in Kamloops or
• You can also purchase tickets and get more information by calling the BC Cowboy Heritage Society 1-888-763-2221.
• Visit the BC Cowboy Heritage Society website for schedules and more information at: www.bcchs.com