March 20–May 9
- Cowgirl Up!
Wickenburg, Ariz.
928-684-2272, website
This event started back in March, but it goes strong all through April and into May. Boys are allowed, but this event is truly for the cowgirls. Showcasing painted, drawn, and sculptured works by “the other half of the West,” Cowgirl Up! features about 200 pieces from 58 artists.
10
- Fort Dodge 150th Anniversary Celebration
Fort Dodge, Kan.
620-227-2121 ext. 167, website
Pick up your schedule of events at the Suttlers Store. Miss Kitty, the Marshal, and gunfighters; car, truck, motorcycle, and tractor shows; military vehicles on display; veterans from WWII to recent conflicts’ cow-patty chucking; scavenger hunt ($50 cash prize); live music; and more.
11
- Scottsdale Art Auction
Scottsdale, Ariz.
480-945-0225, website
Last year, in celebration of its 10th anniversary, this auction sold 91% of its lots for a total of $12.6 million, including a Frederic Remington—valued between $500,000 and $700,000—that went for $920,000 in the end. If you’re looking to get a pulse on the Western art market, this is your event.
11–12
- Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show
Tulsa, Okla.
918-492-0401, website
The largest gun show in the world is the one-stop-shop for anyone looking for antique, collector, and modern guns and knives. With a 2% cap on non-firearm-related vendors, chances are good that, if what you’re looking for exists (and is legal), you’ll be able to find it here.
17–18
- Western Heritage Awards
Oklahoma City, Okla.
405-478-2250, website
For more than 50 years, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum has been recognizing and honoring the individuals who tell the stories of the American West through literature, music, film, and television. Also recognized at the event are inductees to the Hall of Great Westerners and the Hall of Great Western Performers.
Editor’s Pick: “The National Cowboy Museum does great work recognizing and promoting Western culture and this awards ceremony hosts the lifestyle’s greatest advocates.” —Bob Welch
18–19
- Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival
Santa Clarita, Calif.
661-250-3735, website
Due to film production at Melody Ranch, this year’s event will be held in Old Town Newhall, and will feature the same caliber of poetry, food, music, and entertainment that festival-goers have come to expect in years past. With more than 10,000 people arriving to celebrate the area’s Western roots, it’s best to start planning early for this iconic gathering.
23–25
- 32nd Annual Gathering of Nations Pow Wow
Albuquerque, N.M.
505-836-2810, website
In the past 32 years the Gathering of Nations has grown from an early, simple dream to one of the world’s most recognized annual festivals. From the beginning the concept has always been to produce an event where Native people can come together each year to celebrate and share culture, and a place where singers and dancers can feel confident that competition is fair to all.
29–May 4
- Sombrero Ranch Horse Drive
Craig, Colo.
970-586-4577, website
Each spring, Sombrero rounds up their 1,800 or more horses off of winter pasture and herds them across 60 miles in two days. Space is limited, but open to the public, and will provide an experience of a lifetime, cowboying in the Rocky Mountains.