STEPHENVILLE — The Texas Folklore Society, a partner of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts at Tarleton State University, has joined with the National Ranching Heritage Center to sponsor a discussion on the influence of Western culture during the inaugural Ranch Verse on Saturday, Aug. 5, in Lubbock.
The event will feature working cowboy stories, cowboy poetry, western music and discussions on ranch culture.
“Texas Folklore Society leaders and members are excited to support the efforts of the National Ranching Heritage Center to bring folks together for a fun and informative day highlighting the state’s ranching heritage while discussing the folklore — customs, traditions and practices — of working cowboys and their influence on the humanities in Texas and beyond,” said Executive Director Kristina Downs, PhD.
Boots O’Neal, a working cowboy from the Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Okla.; Missouri working cowboy Randy Rieman, a rawhide braider and master reciter; Dave Stamey, a working cowboy and western entertainer out of California; the legendary Red Steagall, an actor, musician and cowboy poet from Azle, Texas; and Lubbock singer/songwriter/poet Andy Wilkinson will join emcee Andy Hedges, a cowboy songster also from Lubbock.
Daytime events are free and will be held inside the main gallery of the National Ranching Heritage Center. The TFS-sponsored discussion on the poetry, music and art of western culture is scheduled for 3:30-4:30 p.m. and features Steagall, Hedges and Stamey.
Presentations start with a performance of cowboy poetry, range ballads and storytelling by Steagall, Wilkinson, Rieman and Stamey at 10:30 a.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to hear a live, onstage interview at 1 p.m. with O’Neal, recipient of the Ranching Heritage Association Working Cowboy Award. It will be broadcast on Hedges’ Cowboy Crossroads podcast.
Reiman will take the stage at 2:15 p.m. to present the illustrated letters of cowboy artist Charles M. Russell with slides and commentary. An evening performance at 7:30 in the historic Cactus Theater features Hedges, Stamey and Steagall. A limited number of tickets, starting at $25, may be purchased at www.cactustheater.com.
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