Gathered for a sweet 16

Valley residents and visitors will have yet another weekend full of events they can choose to attend with one such event being the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering. Entering it's 16th year, the cowboy gathering kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, July 20 at Grand View Park with open mic. cowboy poetry and music. This will be followed by a campfire jam session at 9 p.m. also in Grand View Park.

On Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m., a quilting program will be held by South Dakota poet Yvonne Hollenbeck. According to a press release from the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering, Hollenbeck "will present a special program that blends the stories of quilts using poems and her collection of rare and handmade quilts." This event will take place at the Sagebrush Senior Center in Encampment.

Also taking place on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. at Grand View Park will be a stick horse rodeo for children under the age of 12 and lunch taking place at 11:30 a.m. All money raised from the lunch, put on by Encampment/Riverside Lions Club, will be used for community projects. At noon begins the Western Entertain Roundup which will be free to all attendees.

At 7 p.m. on Saturday begins the All Star Cowboy Poetry/Music Show which will feature cowboy music stars Amie and Annie, twin sisters originally from Cheyenne who have toured the world. The duo's song, "Wyoming Where I Belong," was also selected as a Wyoming State song by the 2018 Wyoming State Legislature.

During Saturday night's event, a raffle winner will be chosen for "Clear and Present Danger" by local artist R.G. Finney as well as the presentation of the Pioneer Award.

Sunday will begin with a continental breakfast at Grand View Park from 8-10 a.m. followed by Cowboy Church, which will be led by Ken and Becky Kreusel.

For more information, contact Steve Moulton at 307-329-8904