Feb. 28, 2026

Howdy everyone!

Wow - what a weekend! With attendees from 23 states in Alpine, and 15 states in Bastrop, the 2026 Gathering in two locations was a Texas-sized event. Alpine had 18 performers, 7 paid shows, and 17 free sessions, including a keynote address from poet and songwriter Andy Wilkinson, entitled "Gathering." Bastrop had 35 performers, 26 paid shows (including six $10 mealtime shows), and 8 free sessions. Bastrop also had a well-attended press conference featuring actor Barry Corbin and many of the performers.

Total ticketholders for both locations rivaled our two best prior years (2023 and 2024) for the Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering. We're so glad these performers could be heard, even on a year when very few hotel rooms were available in Alpine.

Both locations introduced many new people to cowboy poetry and music, including some wonderful writers who covered the event in the press. Both articles listed below are worth reading - they are quite different, but equally interesting.

• about Alpine: Marfa Public Radio, February 25, 2026, "Desert Dispatch Vol. 60: The Year of The Horse." By Lindsey Hauck. Photo by Abe Karleen, courtesy of the Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
• about Bastrop: KUT 90.5, February 24, 2026, "At Bastrop's Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering, performers share love songs about life on the range." By Paul Carruba. Photos by Lorianne Willett.

In Alpine, Gathering performances were held in Marshall Auditorium, the University Center, and the Event Center at the Museum of the Big Bend - all located on the SRSU campus. Our cowboy suppers were held at the Alpine Civic Center, and the chuckwagon breakfasts were at Poet's Grove in Kokernot Park. Volunteers from the Alpine Lions Club helped serve breakfast each day.

The Gathering used four venues in Bastrop: the Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center, the Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, Film Alley (noon dinner and evening supper shows), and the Bastrop Public Library.

Volunteers from the Bastrop Evening Lions Club and the Bastrop Community Senior Center, together with individual attendee volunteers, provided noteworthy help that made the new event run smoothly.

The 2026 Buck Ramsey award was presented in Alpine to Matt Robertson of Arizona for significant promise to contribute to the cowboy canon including poetry, music, and story.

The 2026 Keeping the Tradition Alive Award was presented in Bastrop to Kristyn Harris of Texas. The award recognizes younger poets, musicians, and writers who honor our traditions and history.

Most importantly, we heard from thinkers and musicians who are inspired by their active lives, but often get to share their thoughts only with their horses and dogs. To take liberties with KUT author Paul Carubba in his article about the Gathering: "Surrounded by stories, songs and the . . . landscape, the cowboy is not merely an abstract historical figure. The cowboy is a living, breathing, vital part of both the present and the future." We heartily agree.

More soon,
Kay and Gene Nowell
Co-Chairs
Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering

P.S. Memberships are one of the main ways we sustain the Gathering. If you are currently a member, thank you! If you aren't a member, won't you consider it? We appreciate support at every level, starting at $6 per month or $60 per year.

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