Western Folklife Center Building Temporarily Closed
Due to continuing health concerns, we remain taking precautionary measures to maximize social distancing and minimize the potential spread of COVID-19. Beginning Monday, March 16, 2020, the Western Folklife Center Gift Shop, Wiegand Gallery, and administrative offices will temporarily close until further notice. The Western Folklife Center staff will be periodically checking phone and email messages.
We invite you to join us online for music, poetry and other interesting and entertaining programs of the Western Folklife Center. Watch videos on Vimeo and YouTube, listen to interesting and entertaining audio pieces, explore through online exhibitions, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more.
Thank you for your understanding. Stay safe!
Report on the 36th Gathering Ranch Tour
"This was A++! Enlightening,
Informative - interesting
with good humor;
the hospitality was A+
and the food was A++.
Our bus leader for the day was
So! Interesting and knowledgeable."
- tour workshop participant
Announcing Michael Martin Murphey and the Rio Grande Band!
Michael Martin Murphey presents a special performance of songs from his over 40 years of performing…all with his stellar Rio Grande Band featuring Gary Roller, Ollie O’Shea, Ryan Murphey, and rising star Carin Mari.
Horses, Cowboys, Veterans & Family Ties
The 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering delivers again with a line-up of exciting, thought provoking, and educational special discussions and compelling speakers. There will be something for everyone in the scope and number of discussions and special sessions presented January 30-February 1, 2020.
36th Gathering Celebrates Black Cowboys
For 36 years during the heart of winter, thousands have traveled to Elko, Nevada to listen, learn, and share stories of ranching and the rural West through poetry, music, and stories. People of all backgrounds identify with the beauty and challenges of the cowboy lifestyle, from the Mississippi Delta bayou to Buckaroo country, Oklahoma rodeo grounds to the streets of Oakland and Los Angeles. This year the Gathering will feature men and women from these ranching and horseback communities to explore and celebrate the often under-represented historic contributions and contemporary culture of Black cowboys, from bull-doggin' to blue-yodellin.'
Announcing the Featured Artists of the 36th Gathering!
The Western Folklife Center is pleased to announce the artist line-up for the 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, January 27-February 1, 2020. Check out the Spotify playlist of featured artists below and remember, tickets go on sale October 3 to the General Public.
Join a Cowboy Poetry Walking Tour in Downtown Elko
You may have seen the weathered faces, shadowed in black and white, staring you down from posters in storefront windows around Elko. Listen closely – with the help of your smartphone – and they each have something to share about the life and work of a cowboy.
Western Folklife Center Presents Mike Beck: Acoustic
On July 18, 2019, acclaimed contemporary cowboy singer/songwriter Mike Beck returns to Elko and the Western Folklife Center stage for a one-night concert of acoustic music and stories. Add even more fun to your evening before the concert with a free docent-led walking tour of our downtown Elko storefront exhibition, Portraits of the Gathering!
Graduation Weekend at the Western Folklife Center
Looking for something to do with the family during Graduation Weekend? The Western Folklife Center has several activities for the whole family to enjoy. Whether it’s taking in some great cowboy poetry and music in a concert Saturday night, finding something special in our Gift Shop, enjoying the You’ve Got Spurs exhibition in the Wiegand Gallery, or doing the Portraits of the Gathering walking tour around downtown Elko, the historic Pioneer Hotel is the place to be in the heart of old Elko.
Be a Tourist In Your Hometown
Between the Western Folklife Center, Northeastern Nevada Museum, and the Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum, there is something exciting happening every day between Monday, May 6 and Saturday, May 11 in Elko, Nevada. Pick up an Elko Museums Passport for the kids, then have fun checking out each of our three Elko area museums to win a Passport prize!
Western Folklife Center Community Events a Hit in Elko
We've been sponsoring our community events for several years now, and such "parties" as Southwind St. Patrick's Day celebration on Saturday, March 16 are definitely the place to be in Elko. It was 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm (or maybe…8:30 if the band forgots to step down)…you can always plan on a great time, with a happy crowd wearin' the Green and a bit of the ol' Irish sing-along, and more.
Remembrances of Our 35th Gathering
The 35th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering was a lot of fun, and we're glad to have been able to share our event with so many wonderful folks. If you've not made it to Elko yet, it's not too early to start planning for our 36th, January 27-February 1, 2020. Here are a few of the great moments, captured by photographer Charlie Ekburg of Sweet Light Photography. Enjoy!
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives at the 35th Gathering!
Country music legends Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives were in Elko for their first time at the Gathering, with their “Way Out West” Tour! The tour celebrates their love of the West and on Thursday, January 31, in an 8:30-10:00 pm show at the Elko Convention Center, the crowd went wild. It was, indeed, a a toe-tapping, spine-tingling treat of an evening! Stuart and music producer Jim Rooney also hosted a fascinating discussion of Marty's career, music and songwriting earlier in the day!
Floral Design & Carving with Cary Schwarz at the 35th Gathering
At the 35th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, we're inviting practicing leatherworkers – intermediate experience and above – to open new avenues of creativity and improve their floral carving designs in a three-day workshop!
Bridging the 49th
A border by cartography standards, the 49th parallel distinguishes Canada from the United States ̶ on maps, anyway. But try telling these musicians that as they sing themselves from side to side and back again! Making beauty out of coexistence and proving that lines are never quite what they seem, the five bards of the borderlands in our 8:00 pm Saturday night show exemplify the artist as ambassador. Sharing the Elko Convention Center Auditorium in Bridging the 49th are Jamie Fox, Alex Kusturok, Corb Lund, Sid Marty and Colter Wall: read on to meet them!
Announcing the Featured Artists of the 35th Gathering!
Join us January 28-February 2, 2019 for the 35th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, a milestone anniversary for the grand-daddy of them all! Tickets Now On Sale!
We are pleased to present the following poets, prosewriters, storytellers and singer-songwriters and western bands – several performing across genres.
On June 28: John Reischman and the Jaybirds flew into Elko - and more!
The Western Folklife Center hosted John Reischman and the Jaybirds on Thursday, June 29 for a 2:00 pm Bluegrass Rhythm Band Workshop and 7:00 pm Concert! The Pioneer Saloon opened at 5:30 pm and we invited everyone to join us for libations and a FREE exhbition reception and illustrated talk by Jean Earl about "Basque Arborglyphs of the Great Basin" in the Wiegand Gallery.
Presenting Texas Songster Andy Hedges on May 4th
The Western Folklife Center was proud to present a National Cowboy Poetry Gathering favorite, Andy Hedges, in concert on May 4. The evening's activities, including local youth performers, was free of charge as a thank you to the many volunteers and sponsors contributing to the success of the most recent Gathering.
2018 Western Folklife Concert Series begins March 24 with Rick and Donna Nestler
The Western Folklife Center is known for bringing interesting artists to Elko for performances and workshops throughout the year. For our first in 2018, join us on Saturday, March 24th, when we present – with host, GRAMMY award-winning singer/songwriter Rick Nestler of Rick Nestler and Donna “The Banjolele Lady!”
The Faces of the 34th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
We've been having a great time going through photos of the 34th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering by our photographers Jessica Lifland and Charlie Ekburg. We wanted to share some of them with you -- Enjoy!
Gathering Manager Callie Greenhaw has steered the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering ship with grit and gumption since 2023. Now, she’s leaving Elko to move to Reno full-time to be closer to family and work for an environmental nonprofit. We’re sad to see her go, but thankfully she won’t be too far away. Her roots will always be in Elko, so you can count on seeing her come January. We’ll see you down the trail, Callie!