The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Elko is where some of Nevada's real cowboys—or in Nevada, buckaroos—work and play, and the western spirit lives on. Elko's authenticity has earned the town its place as one of the premier true western towns in the United States. In fact, cowboys from all over the nation flock to Elko every January for the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, a celebration of the cowboy lifestyle and the rural West.
How many places can you meet a ranch matriarch, an American Indian poet laureate, a pre-teen yodeling champion, horseback riding poets, and free verse, all in one show? To clarify, the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is not just about poetry. And like the real American West, it's definitely not just for cowboys. For nearly 40 years, this signature Nevada event has drawn ranch workers and urban cowboys to its lyrical blend of the Wild West with poetry, song, video, visual art, new media and more. Evolving from the earliest narrative of buckaroos who ranched and drove in the western US, the art form has gained an international audience.
