April 2012 Events

A Western roundup of events where you can experience the Old West.

SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL
Santa Clarita, CA, April 19-22: Melody Ranch & Western film tours, plus performances by acts like Cari Mari & Pony Express, Don Edwards and R.W. Hampton.
661-250-3735 • CowboyFestival.org

ADVENTURES

COWGIRL CAMP
Gila, NM, April 15-20: Offers lessons in horsemanship techniques, a cattle roundup, trail rides and a mini rodeo competition.
575-535-2048 • DoubleERanch.com

BLUEGRASS EXPRESS TRAIN
Durango, CO, April 20: Enjoy live Bluegrass music on the vintage steam-powered train and at the stop at Cascade Canyon Pavillion.
970-247-2733 • DurangoTrain.com

NATIONAL PARKS WEEK
Nationwide, April 21-29: Free entrance days at all National Parks, from Yellowstone in Wyoming and Montana to Mesa Verde in Colorado.
202-208-3818 • NPS.gov

ROMAN NOSE HILLS TRAIL RIDE
Watonga, OK, April 20-22: Two- to six-hour guided trail ride adventures at Roman Nose State Park and several private ranches. The Sioux chief who inspired this ride is shown here in an 1865 stereograph.
877-782-2395 • RomanNoseHillsTrailRide.com

ANIMAL ADOPTIONS

WILD HORSE AND BURRO ADOPTIONS
Tucson, AZ, April 27-29: Wild horses and burros from Western states offered for adoption to folks providing long-term care.
866-468-7826 • BLM.gov

ANNIVERSARY EVENTS

ARIZONA CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE
Phoenix, AZ, April 18-21: Historic preservation workshops and Arizona history lectures celebrate the Grand Canyon state’s 100th birthday.
480-420-4601 • ArizonaCentennial.org

THE TITANIC: A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
Leadville, CO, April 14-15: Commemorates the 100th anniversary of ship’s sinking, includes home tour, dinner and presentation on Molly Brown.
719-486-1239 • LeadvilleAssembly.org

FIRST THANKSGIVING
San Elizario, TX, April 28: Re-enacts the 1598 first Thanksgiving with Indian and Spanish dancers, after a conference sharing San Elizario’s history.
915-851-9997 • ElPasoMissionTrail.com

FIESTA SAN ANTONIO
San Antonio, TX, April 19-29: Old San Antonio and Old Mexico celebrations, plus fandangos, art shows and a pilgramage to the Alamo. This photo (left), of the Battle of the Flowers Parade, was taken at the celebration 110 years ago.
877-723-4378 • Fiesta-SA.org

ART AUCTIONS & EXHIBITS

SCOTTSDALE ART AUCTION
Scottsdale, AZ, March 30: A wide collection of paintings and sculptures by master artists like Frederic Remington and Gerard Curtis Delano.
480-945-0448 • Altermann.com

PUEBLO TO PUEBLO
Oklahoma City, OK, Ends April 8: Presents nearly 80 vessels of Southwest Indian pottery from the mid-19th to the 20th centuries.
405-478-2250 • NationalCowboyMuseum.com

WESTERN SPIRIT ART SHOW & SALE
Cheyenne, WY, Ends April 15: View Western artwork by more than 130 artists at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum.
307-778-7290 • OldWestMuseum.org

AWARD SHOWS

WESTERN HERITAGE AWARDS
Oklahoma City, OK, April 20-21: Honors the best in literature, music, film and television that reflect the American West heritage.
405-478-2250 • NationalCowboyMuseum.com

COMPETITIONS

FIDDLE FEST WEEKEND
Llano, TX, April 6-8: Fiddle music jams, an open fiddle contest at the 1927 LanTex Theater, art exhibits and a chuckwagon breakfast.
325-247-5354 • LlanoFiddleContest.com

BANDERA CHUCKWAGON RACES
Bandera, TX, April 13-15: Cowboys compete at breakneck speeds in chuckwagons in this National Finals-qualifying race at 2E Twin Elm Ranch.
830-796-3045 • BanderaCowboyCapital.com

FRONTIER FARE

LLANO CRAWFISH OPEN
Llano, TX, April 20-21: Heritage cuisine meal of boiled crawfish and barbecue accompanies Llano’s charity golf tournament and marathon.
325-247-2270 • LlanoCrawfishOpen.com

PIONEER VILLAGE DUTCH OVEN COOK-OFF
Gonzales, TX, April 28: Taste the winning dutch oven fare, then learn how to make rope and lye soap as you tour the 1800s pioneer village.
830-672-2157 • ThePioneerVillage.com

FUNDRAISER

FRIENDS OF HAPPY TRAILS BANQUET & FREEDOM RALLY
Victorville, CA, April 21: This fundraiser benefits the children’s foundation formed by classic Western actors Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.
760-240-3330 • HappyTrails.org

HERITAGE FESTIVALS

WILD WEST DAYS
Tucson, AZ, March 30-April 1: Old Tucson Studios presents roping and bull whip handling by Kowboy Kal and music by Sourdough Slim.
520-883-0100 • OldTucson.com

GALVESTON COUNTY FAIR
Hitchcock, TX, April 13-21: Since 1938, the fair and rodeo includes auctions, a variety of cook-offs, concerts, rodeo events and youth activities.
409-986-6010 • GalvestonCountyFair.com

COWBOY CULTURE CELEBRATION
Dublin, TX: April 20-22: Ranch rodeo, Wild West show, cowboy mounted shooting, downtown cattle drive and cowboy poetry competition.
254-592-1653 • CowboyCultureCelebration.com

POWWOWS

TIGUA PERFORMANCES
San Elizario, TX, Starts April 7: Every Saturday and Sunday, the Tigua perform traditional dances such as the Buffalo Eagle and Pueblo Two-Step.
915-859-7700 • ElPasoMissionTrail.com

SCOTTSDALE NATIVE TRAILS
Scottsdale, AZ, Ends April 14: Traditional musical instruments accompany period dancers as they share the stories of Arizona’s first tribes.
480-421-1004 • ScottsdaleCVB.com

GATHERING OF NATIONS
Albuquerque, NM, April 26-28: Learn about American Indian culture and tradition through photos, music and stories. Kenny Pratt Jr., shown at the powwow last year, will be the powwow’s head male dancer this year.
505-836-2810 • GatheringOfNations.com

RODEOS

FIESTA DAYS RODEO
Cave Creek, AZ, March 28-April 1: A PRCA rodeo, plus charity golf tournament, dances, rodeo parade and mutton bustin’ competition.
480-488-4043 • CaveCreekRodeo.com

STOCKYARDS CHAMPIONSHIP RODEO
Forth Worth, TX, April 20: World’s only year-round rodeo offers two hours of live action, held every Friday and Saturday of the month.
817-625-1025 • CowtownColiseum.com

RE-ENACTMENT

SPRING TRADERS ENCAMPMENT
Bartlesville, OK, April 13-14: Bring your pre-1840s camp gear and clothing for a hands-on look at mountain man life near Crystal Lake.
888-966-5276 • Woolaroc.org

SHOOTING MATCH

SHOOT-OUT AT THE O.K. CORRAL
Tombstone, AZ, April 28-29: Main match on Saturday, with men and ladies’ division shoot-off at the O.K. Corral Sunday, plus a cowboy dinner.
OldPuebloGunfighters.com

TRADE SHOWS

KASINA DOLL MARKETPLACE
Phoenix, AZ, April 14: Check out the handiwork of more than 100 artists as they display their carved Katsina dolls at the Heard Museum.
602-252-8848 • Heard.org

HUB CITY MARKET
Clinton, OK, April 19-22: This Route 66 hub in western Oklahoma offers up a marketplace of vendors, food and entertainment.
580-323-2222 • ClintonOK.org

WORKSHOPS

ARIZONA LIVING HISTORY WORKSHOP
Prescott, AZ, April 7: Learn how to make Victorian accessories, like bonnets and parasols, and homemade supplies for spring cleaning.
928-778-4810 • Sharlot.org

ARIZONA HISTORY ADVENTURE
Prescott, AZ, April 14: Learn the spring cleaning techniques frontier Arizona housewives used to get the home ready for summer.
928-445-3122 • Sharlot.org

WEST TEXAS TRAIL WRITERS CONFERENCE
Fort Davis, TX, April 27-29: Improve your writing skills with help from Western novelist and TexAmericana songwriter Mike Blakely.
432-426-3481 • DmecTexas.org

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