it loosk like the http://www.cmrussell.org - c.m. russell museum  is going to have a "cowboy culture" event in july of this year. some events are going to be roping demonstrations, old-time music and, of course, cowboy food. this event is going to come directly to my desk for palnning and organizing.

give me some ideas! it will be a one-day event, and i'd appreciate the input!

How about a "write a Cowboy tale" for kids.  It should be in a 'cowboy style' and have a "cowboy subject"Two classes one for kids under 12 and one for 12-18 years old.  Get the local high school English teachers involved.

By announcing the winner at the event, it insures that parents of every kid that entered will attend.

BEAR

I think Mr.Moms' onto an idea here.........a wet corset contest??

I figure there is a fair amount of "cowboys" who could put on a roping demo. Any local AQHA members, rodeo competitors, etc. Place an ad and have them give you a call.

For music, look for the trad instruments and musicians. Guitar, zither, fiddle. Upright or 4/4 bass was not even close to a common instrument.

For food....shoot. I'm sure some of the guys who are into western history and culture could help. I've camped on elk hunts in the mountains for weeks at a time w/o going to any town. I guess you caould say we approximated campfire cooking. You know, buckets of snow for the coffee pot, measure the grounds in your hands, throw it in the pot.

are there any references you can use that might be at work?? Is there a peer you could call at the Will Rogers in Ft. Worth? They have summer events at the stock yards in Ft.Worth with western culture a focus.

Cowboy poetry is always good, and can build up a good attendance after a couple years time. The thing is, finding a time when the cowboys aren't working.

Old timers events are good, to gather in some of the earlier settlers that are still in that country.

Music is a must.

Are you talking about the period of say......1850 to 1920? Do you want to portray the Hollywood type or the real type?................What did Wild Bill do in his Wild West Show?

Horse hair, rope,  weaving/braiding contest

cow-back, walking/jumping/running contest    cactus?

fancy pistol handling and marksmanship

beanhole bean dinner/meals - trail cooking meals

rides in a real stagecoach -stagecoach transportation from the parking lots

Demonstrations of how horses work cattle

cowboy clothing - why they wore what they did

PLEASE .....don't go PC on us!

I've heard that a lot of cowboys were actually sailors who lost their jobs on the sea and went inland. There is supposed to be some remnant of the sea heritage in cowboy lore/lifestyle......many people don't know this but might be interested in learning about it? songs - tools -rope work -clothing ?????

Probably most of the people who will attend will be tourists from "away" who want entertainment and not lectures. It is possible to "teach" in an entertaining way.

What was the daily life of a cowboy/trail hand really like? .....Bed, clothes, food, pests, social life, healing, personal care, pests, weather, daily animal care, general ranch/camp life. Did they gulp shots of straight whiskey?

I don't know much about the lifestyle of a cowboy/trailhand, but I bet it was full of a lot more hard work than most people realize. Many can visualize what it takes to get through a day of office or factory work, but don't have a clue what a day in the life of a cowboy was like.

Maybe PBS television programmers could make some suggestions?

The Rockland Seafood Festival, held on the first of August each year, starts with a patriotic parade...there is a large festivle area set up next to Rockland Harbor, A navy destroyer is at anchor in the harbor...the sailors act as escorts for the sea godess candidates.....craft tents, marine products display, .....marine animal touch-tank.....Willie Nelson concert (& others of that caliber).....and.....They cook and sell some 20,000 lobster dinners. There are lobster boat races, row boat rowing contests, lobster-holding crate (in the water) running contest....a 5K road race...clan shucking contest, crab picking contest, and fireworks and more but I don't see it all.

Blackfly queen contest on the first night....anyone can enter....must wear a bathing suit....... held out next to the limerock quarries.....starts after dark...everyone lines up next to the quarry.....last one standing WINS! :o) you might have to ask the guys fron WI or MN about blackflies and no-see-ums. Might havr to import a few.  hey...you could have a fire ant queen contest?

This is about all the sage cowboy stuff you're going to get from this old Maine salt! Hey...I tried.

Taz;

I'd also contact the local chapter of SASS.  Properly done, they could make a real contribution to the event.  They are the one's who will have clothing & accesories as well as proper period firearms.  Possibly they could provide a speaker who would address the reality of cowboys carrying firearms vs the Hollywood myth of a shoot-out on every Saturday night.

900F

thanks for the replies so far! here is the "blurb" i wrote that will go out to potential sponsors.

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Be a Part of Saddles and Spurs!

What was the daily life of a cowboy really like? Bed, clothes, food, pests, social life, healing, personal care, pests, weather, daily animal care, general ranch or camp life….did they gulp shots of straight whiskey?

The C.M. Russell Museum proposes to provide the answers to some of these questions! We are putting together a good, old-fashioned time for the families of Great Falls and the surrounding area, and we would like you to be a part of it! This event, called “Saddles and Spurs,” will take us back to a time when the spaces were wide open and the prairies were dotted with Longhorn, Hereford and Angus cattle. Charlie Russell himself, as you know, was called “the cowboy artist,” not because he painted and sculpted cowboys, but because he was a cowboy for several years in the Judith Basin. It was the freedom of the old west which inspired him to become an artist, and the life of the cowboy which was depicted in much of his best art. Our aim is to offer some of this experience to children and their parents.

Saddles and Spurs is scheduled to take place on 12 September from 1pm to 5pm, and will focus on introducing families to the daily life of a cowboy in Montana from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. Proposed events include roping demonstrations, dutch-oven cooking, exhibitions of cowboy clothing and tools, campfire stories, cowboy poetry and music. A chuck wagon barbecue and an ice cream social are also anticipated. Other “brainstorm” ideas include a “write a cowboy tale” activity, which would give children an opportunity to write their own western adventure, fancy six-gun handling, and an exhibition of cowboy-action rifles. A good addition might also be a speaker who could compare the true life of a cowboy with Hollywood’s depictions of the same.

Saddles and Spurs is an opportunity to teach families about the history of the west and to promote a bit of awareness of the cowboy experience in Montana. for instance, it is not generally known that a large percentage of cowboys in Montana were African or Native American, and that quite a few of them went on to become fairly serious ranchers, especially on the Blackfoot Reservation. This bit of trivia is just a small part of what can be learned by parents and children as they also try their hand at roping a calf or making sourdough biscuits in a dutch oven.

A large part of Saddles and Spurs will be live entertainment, and we have asked Ken Overcast from Chinook to provide this entertainment. He is enthusiastic about the proposal and eager to be a part of this family event. His talents abound in just about anything dealing with cowboy life, including cowboy poetry, music and stories. More information about Ken can be found at his website, http://www.kenovercast.com/ - www.kenovercast.com .

An event such as saddles and spurs will provide a good, wholesome, old-fashioned diversion for the entire family, and is sure to be a fun way of learning about this very important chapter in Montana’s history. The C.M. Russell Museum invites you to participate in this event, and would be honored to include you as a sponsor.

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still would be happy to see any suggestions or opinions!