BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT UID:D9156211-4AF3-48D4-85CB-4339C2A0AF1C DTSTART:20250926T130000Z DTEND:20250927T213000Z SUMMARY:Celebrate the Spirit of the West 2 hours from DFW! DESCRIPTION:Songs\, Stories and Spirit of the West Ride into Winnsboro - Ju st 2 Hours from DFW! \n Winnsboro Center for the Arts (WCA) is excited to announce the 2025 Winnsboro Cowboy Music and Poetry Gathering on Friday a nd Saturday\, September 26 and 27. The event combines cowboy culture and a rtistry\, and draws the finest cowboy poets\, storytellers and musicians f rom Texas and beyond. The gathering takes place on The Bowery in Downtown Winnsboro\, just two hours from DFW (YEE-HAW!). Tickets are on sale now. \n“Our lineup of professional artists showcases the finest storytellers\, those who turn the hard work of cowboys and ranchers into timeless art. T heir words honor cowboy heritage with both heart and harmony\,” said Mary White\, WCA board president and acting executive director. \nThis year’s lineup includes these very best-of-the-best in the cowboy music and poetr y industry: \n Friday\, September 26: \n 1 p.m.: “Cowboy Culture Conversat ions” features Pipp Gillette \, Texas rancher\, cowboy musician and winner of several Western Heritage Awards\, in conversation with Andy Hedges \, who has performed his cowboy music at both the Grand Ole Opry and Carnegi e Hall. \n 4 p.m.: “ Cowboy Poetry and Cowboy Songs” features Jay Snider \ , Teresa Burleson and Bob Campbell . Snider is currently serving his secon d year as the Poet Laureate of Oklahoma and is a past bull riding champion . Burleson is a two-time International Western Music Association (IWMA) Fe male Poet of the Year and director of the Stockyards Museum at the histori c Fort Worth Stockyards. Campbell is an award-winning songwriter\, renowne d for his performances of traditional cowboy and folk ballads. \n 7:30 p.m .: “Evening Cowboy Concert” is a tribute to cowboy music from three award- winning performers. Pipp Gillette returns to The Bowery stage along with K ristyn Harris and Andy Wilkinson . Harris\, from Burleson\, Texas\, is the current (and seven-time winner) of the IWMA Female Performer of the Year. Wilkinson is a poet\, playwright\, teacher\, writer and singer of Western folk music from Lubbock.  \n Saturday\, September 27: \n 1 p.m.: “ Cowboy Culture Conversations” brings Andy Wilkinson back to the stage to discuss legendary American West rancher Charlie Goodnight and historical songwrit ing with Andy Hedges . Wilkinson\, an award-winning writer and performer\, is also a historian who served as Artist-in-Residence at Texas Tech Unive rsity's Southwest Collection. Hedges is considered one of the most recogni zed cowboy performers today and one of the most prominent leaders of weste rn music. \n 4 p.m.: “Kristyn Harris Trio - Western Swing Music” features Kristyn Harris \, a favorite of our annual Cowboy Music and Poetry Gather ings. Her past performances have featured dynamic collaborations with fidd ler Hailey Sandoz. This year\, Kristyn is adding Matthew Walton to the mix . Walton is a master of pedal steel\, lap steel\, bass\, acoustic and elec tric guitar. Together\, this trio promises a high-energy set brimming with the authentic western spirit our cowboy music audiences love. \n 7:30 p.m .: “ Carnegie Cowboys Concert” brings Carnegie Hall to Winnsboro! Rod Tayl or (of "The Rifters" fame) was one of 11 cowboy singers who joined Andy He dges in his 2024 "Roll on\, Cowboys" show at Carnegie Hall. Renowned poet/ Grammy-nominated performer/rancher Joel Nelson will join Rod and Andy to c lose out the 2025 gathering\, showcasing some of the very finest in cowboy music and poetry. \n In addition to the weekend performances\, there will be two days of fun\, FREE activities for the whole family . Activities in clude a Chuck Wagon with cowboy fixins such as cornbread\, beans and cobbl er\; mule wagon rides\; a Los Diablos Tejanos (Texas Rangers) reenactment village\; music and poetry performances by regional artists\; cornhusk do ll-making\; face painting\; Smarty the Cow Roping Dummy\; and a baby goat petting zoo. There will be a ticketed Chili Tasting on Friday night. One of the highlights of the festival is Cowboy Tales \, a FREE exhibition at the WCA September 24 through November 15 that illustrates the theme of we stern culture and imagery. \nWCA plays a key role in bringing cultural pro gramming\, exhibitions and entertainment to Winnsboro and East Texas. WCA is supported in part by grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts . Winnsboro’s Cultural Arts District is recognized by the Texas Commission on the Arts for its vibrant arts sc ene. Winnsboro is also recognized by the National Trust for Historic Prese rvation as a Texas Main Street Community and an accredited member of Main Street America for its successful downtown revitalization. \nFor more inf ormation about the town’s Cowboy Music and Poetry Gathering\, and other cu ltural events\, visit the website. \n ABOUT WINNSBORO CENTER FOR THE ARTS : Winnsboro Center for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization loc ated in Winnsboro\, Texas. As a multi-disciplinary arts center\, it serves communities throughout Northeast Texas\, engaging people in educational p rogramming\, cultural experiences\, and entertainment . All scheduled prog rams are subject to change.\nThe Bowery in Downtown Winnsboro\n200 Market St.\nWinnsboro\, TX 75494 United States\n LOCATION:200 Market St.\, Winnsboro\, TX 75494 URL:http://parkcities.bubblelife.com/community/parkcities_calendar/library/ 3560452/key/3511710444/Celebrate_the_Spirit_of_the_West_2_hours_from_DFW CREATED:20250908T164838Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250908T164838Z DTSTAMP:20261112T203812Z CLASS:PUBLIC STATUS:CONFIRMED TRANSP:TRANSPARENT SEQUENCE:1 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR