Serving the High Plains

Annual Nara Visa Cowboy Gathering set for this weekend

QCS Staff

The Nara Visa Cowboy Gathering, recognized as one of the most genuine assemblies of cowboy poets and musicians anywhere, will be held Sept. 19 to Sept. 21 at the Nara Visa Old School Community Center on Route 54.

The format will be the same as always, which means that, except for some scheduled meals and performance times, most things will be arranged by the performers who drift into the event as they arrive, according to Renee Rinestine, one of the event’s coordinators.

The first Nara Visa Cowboy Gathering was held in 1993.

Scheduled events start with an ice cream social starting at 5:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time, or 4:30 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time, Friday, followed by the first performance at 7 p.m. CDT, or 6 p.m. MDT. Nara Visa recognizes CDT. Concert admission is $5 per person.

Saturday events begin with a chuck wagon breakfast starting at 7:30 a.m. CDT. At 2 p.m. CDT Saturday, the matinee performance begins. At 4 p.m. CDT, a dummy roping contest and a bubble- gum spitting contest are scheduled. An evening performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CDT that will include announcing the winner of the Buck Ramsey Heritage award, which honors an individual, family or ranch that best maintains Western traditions, Rinestine said.

Sunday events include a chuck wagon breakfast at 8:30 a.m. CDT, followed by a cowboy church service at 9:30 a.m. CDT.