Celebrating our 35th year, the Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering, is a 4-day fun-filled celebration of Durango’s western heritage.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening shows and Saturday daytime sessions highlight western history through cowboy poetry, music, humor, and storytelling. During the week of the Gathering, our invited performers offer educational programs to area schools and visits to elder care facilities.
An authentic chuckwagon breakfast kicks off the Saturday morning events, followed by the largest motorless parade in Colorado, and a full day of programs presented by our performers, including a special Comedy Review show.
A unique Cowboy Music and Poetry Train, a beautiful mountain Cowboy Trail ride, and a celebration at Toh-Atin Gallery of our 35th Anniversary Poster by Wyoming artist Laurie Lee round out a series of events that offer a true authentic western experience.
You won’t want to miss a single day of this year's fall Gathering. Be sure to check our website regularly for updates to our schedule and to buy tickets. We look forward to sharing with you our devotion to the preservation of the culture and heritage of the American West.
OUR MISSION
The Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Inc. is a non-profit organization working to preserve and perpetuate the traditions of working ranch people in the American West. We celebrate the lifeways of rural people by creating the "campfire" around which anyone with an interest can come to share in the appreciation of the culture and traditions unique to the West. Monies received support our annual Gathering and our youth programs.
Excitement is in the air as plans for the 35th annual Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering are well underway. As one of the country's oldest Cowboy Poetry Gathering’s, we have won numerous awards for “Best Cowboy Gathering”, and recently we were recognized as one of “Durango’s Best Events” by the Durango Herald in their annual competition. We take pride in continuing the traditions of the West in the heart and spirit of our past and western roots through music, poetry, and art, as well as educational programs for local schools.
This distinctive four-day event, September 28 through October 1, brings to Durango some of the most talented western poets, story tellers, and musicians in the country; many of them authentic working cowboys. At the Gathering, there is a campfire atmosphere where everyone is welcomed.
As with every successful event, though, it cannot be done alone. The Gathering would not happen without the support of our business community and numerous community volunteers. We are humbled and appreciative that Durango and our surrounding towns have supported the Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering since its inception.
While I may be President this year, I can’t take credit for the success of the Gathering. It can’t be accomplished without our board members. We are twelve individuals, volunteering our time and pulling together as a team, and it works. It is an extraordinary feat but because of the yearlong effort and dedication of our board, we’ve been able to make history for thirty-five years. Here’s to the next thirty-five!
Sue McWilliams, President
Board of Directors, Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Sue McWilliams - President
Barry Longwell - Vice President
Sherry Colquitt - Summer Secretary
Geary Parsons - Treasurer
Pam Jacobs - Barn Dance/Parade
Karren Little - Youth Programs
Kathy Sherer - Communications
Lindy Simmons
Mike Mullins
Debra May
Jack Turner
Lisa Watters
