Wide open spaces

With more and more folks flocking to the Upper North Platte River Valley weekly and a free event being staged, a record crowd is expected to attend the 18/19th annual Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering in Encampment this weekend, July 16, 17 & 18.

The three-day celebration will begin Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. in Grand View Park with a free open mic cowboy poetry/music program, followed by the popular campfire jam session.

Saturday morning will begin with a free self-defense seminar at 10 a.m., followed by a lunch served by Encampment/Riverside Lions Club members. At noon Saturday the free western entertainment roundup, featuring a dozen cowboy poets and musicians, will be staged under the tents at Grand View Park.

Climaxing an event-filled Saturday will be the "All-Star Cowboy Poetry/Music Show" beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Encampment school gym, featuring headliners Jeff Gore, Many Strings & Co. and Deanna Dickinson McCall with the valley's own Daron Little as singer/emcee, plus presentation of the pioneer award, announcement of the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee, selection of raffle winner of R. G. Finney framed print "Buck Stops Here" and an auction. A Saturday night dance beginning at 9:00 in the Opera House will conclude a busy Saturday.

Sunday morning dawns with a cowboy ranch breakfast between 8:00 and 10:00 at Grand View Park, followed by Cowboy Church at 10:00 a.m. under the tents at the park.

For all except the All-Star show and Lions lunch, participants are asked to provide a folding chair.

A complete schedule can be found in last week's Saratoga Sun or on posters and programs available.