2024 Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Western Music Rendezvous is a 4-day cultural festival, dedicated to celebrating and preserving the history, heritage and values of the cowboy lifestyle of the Upper Rocky Mountain West. Through cowboy poetry and western music lyrics, an oral history of the American cowboy is shared.
Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering is held annually in mid-August in Lewistown, Montana. About 100 cowboy poets, western musicians, and artists, from all over the United States and Canada, convene to share their talents and perpetuate the traditions of the American West. Fergus High School is the headquarters for the gathering.
Highlights of the gathering include 60+ hours of cowboy poetry and western music, a Thursday night welcoming dinner and hour and a half showcase of performers, a Friday night Jam ‘n Dance, a Saturday night headliner concert, and Sunday morning Cowboy Church. Teachers can earn up to six continuing education credits for attending the gathering. A Western Art & Gear Show featuring artists of all genres and their endless western wares, is also produced in conjunction with the gathering.
Lewistown, MT is in Charles M. Russell country. The economy is cattle based, along with wheat and hay production. There are many 5th generation cattle operators and ranches in the area. Over 2,000 people attend various activities at Montana Cowboy Poetry each August. The gathering is an important and validating cultural festival for the central Montana community.
