Celebrating Western Culture and Heritage
One of Prescott’s most popular events, the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering will take the stage at Yavapai College Performing Arts Center August 6–8, 2020 at 7 p.m. nightly.
More than 40 authentic cowboy poets and singers will perform for two days and three nights to share their heritage and the culture of the American Cowboy. Featured performers include Dave Stamey, Jay Snider and Belinda Gail. This year’s popular collectible poster design was created by artist JaNeil Anderson and is titled, “That Girl is a Cowboy.” An original framed giclee will be available to win through the annual raffle.
On Thursday, August 6 at 7 p.m., Dave Stamey will take the stage. He has been a cowboy, a mule packer, and a dude wrangler, and is now one of the most popular Western entertainers working today. He was voted seven times Entertainer of the Year and Male Performer of the year, and five times Songwriter of the Year by the Western Music Association. He also received the Will Rogers Award from the Academy of Western Artists.
Friday evening, Jay Snider performs. Born into a ranching and rodeo family, Jay rodeoed throughout most of his early years and now stays busy raising ranch horses and cattle and team roping. He has performed on Country Music Television, and at the National Cowboy Gathering in Elko, Nevada, Ozarks Fall Roundup, and Hills Outdoor Theater in Branson, Missouri. Jay has been recognized with many awards including the Best of Best trophy at Kanab. He’s also a six-time nominee for Male Poet of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists.
On Saturday night, Belinda Gail will be on stage. Ranching and the “cowboy life” are very much part of the essence of this dynamic Western performer. Belinda is honored to be among the top female Western Music performers of this era and was recently listed as one of the top 50 Country and Western Entertainers of all time by American Cowboy Magazine in its collector edition entitled “Legends.” A vibrant and natural entertainer with a dynamic and captivating voice, Belinda stirs the emotions and visions of the West in the heart of every audience she embraces. She truly is “America’s Western Sweetheart.”
Organizers of the Gathering believe in educating people about the authentic way of the cowboy; specifically, how Western poetry and music is developed. They offer free daytime sessions around the college campus where attendees can meet cowboy poets and singers to enjoy stories about the colorful culture and history that celebrate the true American Cowboy.
“We really couldn’t do this large event without the hard-working volunteers that have dedicated their time to bring this to Prescott for the past 32 years,” stated the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering’s board president Jim Buchanan. “The culture of the real American Cowboy lives on stage here every year and it’s been an honor to bring this form of entertainment to locals and tourists alike.”
The Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering has maintained a standard that has been abandoned by most other gatherings: that of inviting men and women who are now or have been in the past a part of the working cowboy’s environment and workplace. It is respected by the cowboy poets as one of the best gatherings in the country because it helps maintain the true “working cowboy” culture and heritage.
For more information, visit www.azcowboypoets.org