April 2013 Events

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

ADVENTURE

NATIONAL PARKS WEEK
Nationwide, April 22-26: Free entrance days at all National Parks, from Yellowstone in Wyoming and Montana to Mesa Verde in Colorado.
202-208-3818 • NPS.gov

ANIMAL ADOPTIONS

WILD HORSE AND BURRO ADOPTIONS
Boise, ID, April 19-21: Wild horses and burros from Western states are offered up for adoption to folks who will provide long-term care.
208-373-4000 • BLM.gov

ART SHOWS

CATTLEMEN’S WESTERN ART SHOW & SALE
Paso Robles, CA, April 5-7: More than 60 Western artists showcase their original artworks, plus a cattlemen’s barbecue Friday and Saturday.
805-423-1319 • CattlemensWesternArtShow.com

RENDEZVOUS ARTISTS’ RETROSPECTIVE AND ART SALE
Tulsa, OK, Starts April 18: Retrospective honors Cowboy Artists of America painter Martin Grelle and sculptor Herb Mignery; art sale starts April 19.
918-596-2757 • Gilcrease.UTulsa.edu

AWARDS SHOW

WESTERN HERITAGE AWARDS
Oklahoma City, OK, April 19-20: Honors the best in literature, music, film and television that reflect the American West heritage.
405-478-2250 • NationalCowboyMuseum.org

WANENMACHER’S TULSA ARMS SHOW
Tulsa, OK, April 6-7: Billed as the world’s largest gun show, it features more than 4,000 tables of antique, collector and modern firearms.
918-492-0401 • TulsaArmsShow.com

FUNDRAISER

FRIENDS OF HAPPY TRAILS BANQUET
Victorville, CA, April 20: This fundraiser benefits the children’s foundation formed by classic Westerns actors Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.
760-240-3330 • HappyTrails.org

HERITAGE FESTIVALS

SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL
Santa Clarita, CA, April 18-21: Classic Western movie fans can enjoy film tours, Sourdough Slim’s vaquero fiesta, Western ballads by Don Edwards and more.
661-250-3735 • CowboyFestival.org

ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION
Nebraska City, NE, April 26-28: In honor of its first tree-planting holiday, in 1872, the home of Arbor Day celebrates with free trees, a chili cook-off, a parade and more. Teddy Roosevelt once celebrated Arbor Day by replanting an 1874 Bahia tree (above).
402-873-6654 • NebraskaCity.com

FRONTIER FARE

PIONEER VILLAGE DUTCH OVEN COOK-OFF

Gonzales, TX, April 27: Cook-off keeps you fed as you enjoy gunfight re-enactments, saloon girls, frontier camps and tours of the 1800s village.
830-672-2157 • ThePioneerVillage.com

TUCSON COWBOY MUSIC FESTIVAL & WESTERN ART SHOW
Tucson, AZ, April 27-28: Celebrates Western music from trail songs to contemporary times, and showcases handmade artworks by local artists.

520-883-0100 • OldTucson.com

LLANO FIDDLE FEST
Llano, TX, April 5-7: Passionate torch bearers for grassroots Texas music, the fiddlers compete to be champion and close the festival with a chuckwagon breakfast.
325-247-5354 • LlanoFiddleContest.com

SPRING TRADERS ENCAMPMENT
Bartlesville, OK, April 12-13: 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

TOMBSTONE TALES
El Reno, OK, April 27: Re-enactors tell the stories of Buffalo Soldiers and outlaws who lived at Fort Reno and are buried at the 1875 post’s cemetery.
405-262-3987  • FortReno.org

RODEO

RAM NATIONAL CIRCUIT FINALS RODEO
Oklahoma City, OK, April 4-6: More than $500,000 in prize money is on the line with seven action-packed rodeo events.
405-232-7787 • RNCFR.com

WORKSHOP

WEST OF THE PECOS WRITERS’ ROUNDUP
Fort Davis, TX, April 12-14: Texas State Historian Bill O’Neal is among those sharing trade secrets at the Texas Mountain Trail Writers’ conference.
TexasMountainTrailWriters.org