The Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering will be held in person February 20-22, 2025 in Alpine, Texas, on the beautiful campus of Sul Ross State University. Come join us in scenic Alpine as we preserve the western culture through the work of some of the best cowboy poets and musicians in the country.
For 33 years, the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Alpine was a cowboy poetry destination not to be missed. In February 2019, that gathering ended.
Determined not to let the tradition of cowboy poetry in this region die out, a committed group of volunteers formed a new organization, the Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
The inaugural Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering was held Feb. 21-22, 2020 and was enjoyed by all. We were unable to hold the in-person Gathering in 2021 because of the pandemic, but we did produce two feature-length films, each featuring five cowboy poets on their ranches. Stream those films from our website here. More than 1,500 people from 30 states and 4 countries attended our 2022 gathering, and 2023 brought 2,260 people from 29 states and 2 countries. The Saturday night show for 2023 (Charlie Goodnight: His Life in Poetry and Song) sold out, and we were thrilled that over 35% of our attendees were new to Alpine and to cowboy poetry. We also added a show rodeo in 2023 to showcase and benefit the Sul Ross State University rodeo team.
The 2024 Gathering brought approximately 2,630 attendees from 34 states and 6 countries to Alpine to hear our outstanding "Branding Crew" of more than 40 poets, singers, songwriters, guitarists, fiddlers, mandolin and banjo players, humorists, authors, folklorists, and storytellers. We had a large number of first-time attendees, due in part to the front-page article in Texas Co-op Power (November 2023), extensive advertising and promotion on social media, RV groups organizing to attend, and word of mouth. The Wednesday night Show Rodeo raised $1375 for the SRSU Rodeo Team, and the Saturday night show (Roll On, Cowboys) played to a packed house before it went straight to Carnegie Hall in New York in March.
Make your plans now to join us February 20-22, 2025!
Board of Directors, as of June 2024
Gene Nowell, Alpine, TX - Co-Chair
Kay Nowell, Alpine, TX - Co-Chair and Treasurer
Karen McGuire, Alpine, TX - Vice Chair
Robbie Burns, Alpine, TX - Secretary
Robert Aguirre, Bandera County, TX
Elizabeth Baize, Fort Davis, TX
Phil Elmore, Gainesville, TX
Marian Freeland, Alpine, TX
Bill Jones, New Tazewell, TN
Karen Lloyd, Newport, RI
Vess Quinlan, Alamosa, CO
David Richmond, Lindrith, NM
Chris Ryden, Midland, TX
Jim Street, Alpine, TX
Patrick Sullivan, Fairfax Station, VA
Event Producer
Bob Saul, Fort Worth
Film Production and Advisors to the Board
John and Erika Moore, Dove Creek, CO
Advisors to the Board
Rachel Barrett, Alpine
Jim Goodnight, Dallas
Andy Hedges, Lubbock
Mailing address:
Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering
P.O. Box 1076
Alpine, TX 79831
