The Nucla-Naturita Chamber of Commerce announced the seventh-annual West End Cowboy Poetry Gathering will be held on Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Nucla Town Park.
The event had been held at the community center in Nucla before, but chamber president Paula Brown said having it outdoors has provided for more seating, since there’s so much room. She said the event is now like an outdoor concert, which is nice.
She said the event is casual, and folks can dress in western attire or not. Many guests bring their own lawn chairs and blankets to relax for the evening. The event is from 6 to 9 p.m., and typically a meal is served.
In the past the Garden Club handled the food, serving soup or chili, but the Garden Club group is now short on help. Brown is finalizing the food details this week, which will soon be announced.
There are six well-known cowboy poets coming to Nucla for the event, and they’ll read, tell stories and play music. Some bring several instruments for their performances, and others simply bring a guitar.
“It’s all very different each year and interesting,” Brown said. “There will be humor involved too. The poets have their different styles and deliveries.”
The cowboy poets have all been recognized and won various awards. They’re acclaimed in literary circles for their work, Brown said.
Appearing in Nucla on stage this year will be Terry Nash, Jo Kirkwood, Floyd Beard, Valerie Beard, Doug Figgs and Jeneve Rose Mitchell.
“A lot of people will recognize Jeneve Rose Mitchell,” Brown said. “She’s been here before, and she’s been on American Idol. She’s a crowd favorite.”
Mitchell is just 22 and a Colorado native. She’s performed in Nashville at big venues, but also trains and packs horses. She plays nine different instruments on stage. She’s currently living in Grand Junction, but has a national following.
All are invited to the Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Brown said she’s planning for a variety of guests to land in the West End for the evening. There are families that come every year, and always new people. Brown said children are starting to want to come and learning it’s something they enjoy too.
Tickets for the event will go on sale later this week. They’ll be sold at the door the day of the event too, so there is no requirement to purchase in advance.
