The 21st Annual Comstock Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering returns Saturday, October 31, bringing an afternoon and evening of Western poetry, music, storytelling and a pie auction to the Wescott Baptist Church in Comstock.
The event starts at 1 PM with rotating sessions that will feature a variety of cowboy poets and musicians throughout the afternoon. The gathering will include both familiar performers and newcomers, with a different group on the stage each hour.
R.P. Smith, who has helped with the gathering for many years, said one of the things that makes it so special is its connection to the area.
“This is about as far east as you will see a cowboy poetry gathering, and to get to some of the bigger ones, you gotta go about a thousand miles a different direction, either south or west. This is a neat opportunity for organic locally raised stuff,” said Smith.
Following the afternoon sessions, the church youth will serve a donation priced supper at 5:45 PM. Evening performances start at 7 PM, featuring the Ramblin’ Rangers from Hot Springs, South Dakota, Susie Knight of Conifer, Colorado, and Jan Schiferl of Fordyce, Nebraska. Other returning performers include Smith, Marty Blocker, Bill Potter, Jacque Trumbull, Dan Stehlik, Caleb Smith and cowboy historian Fred Christensen.
The day will conclude with the popular pie auction, which raises money for the church’s Samaritan’s Purse Christmas shoebox project. The church has supported the ministry for more than 15 years, which fills shoeboxes with gifts for children around the world.
Don Schauda said the auction has become a highlight for attendees while supporting a meaningful cause.
“I had one guy say ‘I’m out of pie’. I said ‘well, come a biddin” because you could buy a pie for about twelve hundred dollars,” said Schauda.
The weekend will continue on Sunday, November 1, with Cowboy Church at 10:30 AM. Several poets and singers from the previous day will take part.
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