40th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering: Full Schedule

The 40th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering—Be the Poem. Be the Song.
#cowboypoetrygathering #westernfolklifecenter #ncpg2025

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Schedule is subject to change. We recommend double-checking Sched regularly for the latest updates.

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9:00am PST

A Meatball Comeback

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 12:00pm PST

First Presbyterian Church

The Elko County CattleWomen’s meatballs have near-legendary status among Gathering crowds and staff. A favorite hors d'oeuvre at the exhibit reception for many years, and the star players in more than one Gathering memory (who said the chafing dishes blew a fuse in the theater?), the meatballs are finally making their comeback. But this time, you can learn how to make them, and other beefy appetizers, too. Join the ranch ladies to learn Marianne Glaser’s signature mouth-watering, crowd-pleasing, spherical morsels of meaty delight. The secret is in the beef!

Artists & Special Guests

Elko County CattleWomen

Founded in the late 1950s, Elko County CattleWomen is dedicated to enhancing demand for beef while satisfying consumer needs. Their mission is to promote a positive perception of the cattle industry. The organization actively engages with the community by hosting a variety of events... Read More →

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 12:00pm PST
First Presbyterian Church 1559 Sewell Dr, Elko, NV 89801, USA

Workshop, Ticketed

Ticket Type Ticketed

9:00am PST

The Spirit of Place

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 12:30pm PST

Elko Convention Center - Turquoise Room

The unique places that shape, and often dictate, our livelihoods also have distinctive feelings we've learned to recognize and write about. Adding human characteristics to certain aspects of place, like the trees, rocks, rivers, and mountains, brings them alive in our poetry and prose. Many cultures and native philosophies incorporate animism as a part of their worldview, attributing a spirit, a heart, or a soul to some of these subjects. Join Patricia Frolander in this workshop, where we will attempt to find a sense of spirituality that is unique to where we live, hopefully enriching the depth and scope of our poetic expression

Artists & Special Guests

Patricia Frolander

Wyoming Poet Laureate Emeritus Patricia Frolander is author of award-winning books including Married Into It and Second Wind. For more than 50 years, she has ranched in the Black Hills, enjoying a profession that brings families closer to livestock and nature, and that develops pride... Read More →

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 12:30pm PST
Elko Convention Center - Turquoise Room

Workshop, Ticketed

Ticket Type Ticketed

9:00am PST

A Day at the Ranch

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 4:00pm PST

Western Folklife Center - Pioneer Saloon

Join retired Elko High School agriculture teacher Shane Sutton on a day trip to beautiful Clover Valley in northeastern Nevada. Under the towering peaks of the south Humboldt Mountains, learn and share with the Dalton Ranch, a generational family ranch focused on commercial cattle and producing high-quality beef. Then, have a barbeque lunch prepared by members of the Wells High School FFA. The last stop on the tour is Lotspeich Family Farms, a unique agricultural operation with a deep family ranching history. Dress warm for winter weather and don’t forget to wear sensible footwear!

Artists & Special Guests

Shane Sutton

Shane Sutton is a retired agriculture education teacher and administrator from Elko County. He grew up in the Big Horn Basin of Wyoming on a livestock and farming operation and attended the University of Wyoming for both his undergraduate and graduate studies. Over his 39-year career... Read More →

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 4:00pm PST
Western Folklife Center - Pioneer Saloon

Tour, Ticketed

Ticket Type Ticketed

9:00am PST

Cinchmaking

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 5:00pm PST

Elko Convention Center - Gold Room

Learn the basics of cinchmaking and make your very own handmade 17-strand mohair cinch with Judy Hatch, rancher and owner of Hatch Idaho Cinches, LLC. Judy, as a seasoned instructor in the art of cinchmaking, will provide you with mohair, buckles, D rings, looms, and all of the tools you need. You will have the choice between three base colors (natural, gray, sand). Show up empty-handed and go home with a finished cinch! Looms and supplies to continue on your own at home will be available for purchase after the workshop.

Artists & Special Guests

Judy Hatch

Judy Hatch is the owner and operator of Hatch Idaho Cinches, LLC. With 12 years of perfecting her craft under her belt, Judy specializes in creating high-quality, handwoven mohair cinches, breast collars, camera and purse straps, and various other mohair items. She is always looking... Read More →

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 5:00pm PST
Elko Convention Center - Gold Room

Workshop, Ticketed

Ticket Type Ticketed

9:00am PST

Leather Carving

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 5:00pm PST

Elko Convention Center - Cedar Room

Day 3 of 3
Make a pair of teardrop-style floral spur straps adorned with a simple carving with Cow Camp Saddlery’s Mark Barcus. Under Mark’s instruction, you will learn how to lay out and place your design, how to use the tools, how to carve the design, and how to apply a simple oiled finish. At the end of the class, you will leave with well-made single-ply spur straps. Take home a wearable, working piece of art custom carved at the 40th Gathering! For intermediate and advanced students.

Artists & Special Guests

Mark Barcus

For over 20 years, Wyoming leatherworker Mark Barcus has created chaps, saddles, and other leather goods while working ranches in many locations. He got his start in 4-H and with the help of his father. Mark’s extensive experience in ranching and leatherworking has led to countless... Read More →

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 5:00pm PST
Elko Convention Center - Cedar Room

Workshop, Ticketed

Ticket Type Ticketed

9:00am PST

Rawhide Braiding

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 5:00pm PST

Elko Convention Center - Silver Room

Day 4 of 4
Build commemorative 40th anniversary Gathering hobbles with Doug Groves. A skilled teacher and highly respected rawhide braider, Doug started braiding out of necessity, making the gear he used every day as a working cowboy. Once again, he and his friends will share their know-how in this four-day workshop. Learn Doug’s techniques for processing rawhide—from hide harvest to finished string. And, add specially engraved silver to your project. The storytelling, camaraderie, and cooperative learning among fellow braiders makes this workshop a veritable celebration of rawhide and community! For beginning and intermediate experience levels.

Artists & Special Guests

Doug Groves

Great Basin buckaroo and braider Doug Groves makes rawhide reatas, quirts, reins and bosals of great beauty and function. He started braiding out of necessity, to make the gear he needed as a working cowboy, and eventually as cowboss on the TS Ranch outside of Battle Mountain. A 2009... Read More →

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 5:00pm PST
Elko Convention Center - Silver Room

Workshop, Ticketed

Ticket Type Ticketed

9:00am PST

Silver Cuff Bracelet

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 5:00pm PST

Great Basin College - Jewelry Lab, Arts & Music Annex (Bldg 22 on map)

Day 2 of 2

Make not one, but two!, cuff bracelets in this creative jewelry workshop. Silversmith Rodney Mike of the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe will teach you about materials, tools, and finishes. You will start out by making a copper cuff bracelet with a simple finishing process. This will get you in the groove to make your cuff bracelet out of a sterling silver overlay material on day two. Choose between four finishes for your silver bracelet—a smooth polish, satin polish, hammered texture finish, or a combination of these. Suitable for beginners.

Artists & Special Guests

Rodney Mike

Rodney Mike is a highly skilled silversmith and saddlemaker who has been practicing both crafts for 20 years. His preferred style is western bright engraving, although he appreciates all styles of the art form. A member of the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, Rodney was born and raised in... Read More →

Wednesday January 29, 2025 9:00am - 5:00pm PST
Great Basin College - Jewelry Lab, Arts & Music Annex (Bldg 22 on map)

Workshop, Ticketed

Ticket Type Ticketed

1:00pm PST

Western Songwriting

Wednesday January 29, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm PST

Elko Convention Center - Turquoise Room

With over 200 songs (and 1.5 million downloads) under his belt, it’s a testament to Wylie Gustafson’s character that he’s still buckling up to write more. And with outfits like True West Magazine calling Dave Stamey the greatest cowboy balladeer of all time (ok, ok, they said, “best living western solo musician”), it speaks highly of Dave’s humility that his hat still fits. Learn the western songwriter’s trade from not one, but two!, of the best. Wylie and Dave will cover a range of topics, such as developing good writing habits, co-writing, using eminent domain poems, avoiding clichés, approaching artists with your songs, placing songs in movies or TV, demo choices and recording, and using the western lifestyle and landscape to inspire and motivate.

Sponsored by the Ian Tyson Legacy Fund

Artists & Special Guests

Wylie Gustafson

Wylie Gustafson is an American original. He was born into a fourth-generation ranching family on the empty sprawl of northern Montana. A singer, songwriter, rancher, horseman, and world-famous Yahoo! Yodeler, Wylie has led the musical outfit known as Wylie & the Wild West for over... Read More →

Dave Stamey

Dave Stamey has been a cowboy, a mule packer, and a dude wrangler. Now, he is one of the most popular western entertainers working today. Dave has made it his life's work to celebrate the rural American West. In the past two decades, he has recorded 11 albums of original music, traveled... Read More →

Wednesday January 29, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm PST
Elko Convention Center - Turquoise Room

Workshop, Ticketed

Ticket Type Ticketed

1:00pm PST

Chiles Rellenos

Wednesday January 29, 2025 1:00pm - 4:00pm PST

First Presbyterian Church

Love chiles rellenos (stuffed peppers)? Learn to make this classic Mexican dish with Yolanda Rosales, former Elko restaurant owner and cook. Yolanda learned the art of making chiles rellenos from her mother, following a recipe that has been in her family for generations. Students will learn the joy of constructing chiles rellenos from start to finish, with tips on prepping the chiles, fluffing the egg batter, stuffing with cheese, and frying. Yolanda will also guide you through making two sauces, salsa ranchera (red sauce) and salsa con crema (creamy bell pepper sauce). As the saying goes, “panza llena, corazon contento.”

Artists & Special Guests

Yolanda Rosales

One of the hidden treasures of Elko is the rich Mexican style cuisine served by Yolanda Rosales. Yolanda has cooked in the Elko community for 15 years. She learned how to cook as a very young child watching her mother mix ingredients and fill their home with delicious aromas. While... Read More →

Wednesday January 29, 2025 1:00pm - 4:00pm PST
First Presbyterian Church 1559 Sewell Dr, Elko, NV 89801, USA

Workshop, Ticketed

Ticket Type Ticketed

3:00pm PST

Perfect Pour

Wednesday January 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm PST

Duncan LittleCreek Gallery & the Gallery Bar

Throughout modern history, our obsession with the cocktail has been one of adoration mixed with innovation, weighing creative passion with our capacity for vice. We continue this tradition with an examination of the cocktail’s evolution over the decades and its impact on our own local history. Join us for this year’s installation of Perfect Pour at Duncan LittleCreek. Learn tips and tricks to create your own stunning libations. Take some poetic license on a few classic cocktails, and learn to make some of the DLC’s exclusive signature drinks with Nick Heguy. Must be 21+ with valid ID.

Artists & Special Guests

Nick Heguy

The beginning of Nick Heguy’s strictly academic study of alcohol began, like many, in college. Working his way through various positions and establishments, he gleaned what he could from both smoke-filled dive bar and high-end cocktail lounge alike, amassing knowledge and technique... Read More →

Wednesday January 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:30pm PST
Duncan LittleCreek Gallery & the Gallery Bar

Workshop, Ticketed

Ticket Type Ticketed

5:00pm PST

Come & Get It! (Dinner Show)

Wednesday January 29, 2025 5:00pm - 6:30pm PST

Elko Euzkaldunak Club (Basque House)

Brandings are fun, sociable events, but they are also hot, grueling affairs that depend on the willingness of your neighbors and friends. The Wright family has perfected the art of keeping their crews satisfied and coming back every year. Their secret? Feed them well and feed them everything. So, belly up for the Wright take on branding grub. Jordan Wright and his kitchen crew will serve up a dinner that’ll have you asking for a second helping. No strangers to the sweat of branding season, Sam Platts & the Plainsmen provide songs of work and revelry while you supper up. In the true spirit of brandings, this fancy dinner will be served on paper plates. Grab your Koozie and get in line!

Artists & Special Guests

Sam Platts & the Plainsmen

Sam Platts and the Plainsmen is an energetic Americana band that brings traditional country and western swing to modern audiences. Sam’s songwriting is in the vein of “old” country music, and his inspiration comes from rural, agricultural life and his family’s western heritage... Read More →

Jordan Wright

Jordan Wright grew up in Elko County, being raised in Tuscarora on his family’s cattle ranch. He learned to cook by watching his mother, grandmas, and aunts, who always had the best stories to accompany the recipe lessons. Jordan refined these food service skills working in different... Read More →

Wednesday January 29, 2025 5:00pm - 6:30pm PST
Elko Euzkaldunak Club (Basque House)

Music, Ticketed

Ticket Type Ticketed

7:00pm PST

Kicking Up a Ruckus

Wednesday January 29, 2025 7:00pm - 8:30pm PST

Elko Convention Center - Auditorium

When you throw together a crew, this is the kind of talent you want. Wylie Gustafson, along with his die-hard band, revs up ranch rhythms with the kind of songs you can’t stop humming. Underneath a seemingly sweet ranch wife surface, poet Yvonne Hollenbeck’s rabble-rousing spirit makes for spirit-rousing poetry. And, cool-as-a-cucumber Dave Stamey stirs up a frenzy when he lets out a yippee-yi-yo. When the “Rebel Rouser” joins forces with the “musical Charlie Russell” and the “American original,” you’ve got a crew that’ll kick up a ruckus and get the job done right. Like any good cowboss, you just need to show up and enjoy yourself.

Artists & Special Guests

Yvonne Hollenbeck

Yvonne Hollenbeck is a South Dakota cattleman’s wife who writes poetry about her life on a beautiful, remote ranch where she has spent years putting up hay, feeding a crew, doing bookwork, or working cattle. Although her poetry is often humorous about situations that were not humorous... Read More →

Dave Stamey

Wylie & the Wild West

Wednesday January 29, 2025 7:00pm - 8:30pm PST
Elko Convention Center - Auditorium 700 Moren Way, Elko, NV 89801, USA

Poetry & Music, Ticketed

Ticket Type Ticketed