Annual Cochise Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering

The legends, life, loves and laments that make up the cowboy world will be celebrated in Sierra Vista at one of the West’s most popular festivals. Thousands of visitors will head on down to southeast Arizona to revel in the three days of headline performances, small “themed” get-togethers, and late-night jam sessions.

As the only Arizona event singled out as a national “Featured Festival” in the comprehensive new book, “600 Festivals Right in Your Own Backyard,” the Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering is a community paying artistic tribute to The Cowboy Way. From a half-dozen states, more than 60 well-known singers, songwriters, musicians, and poets assemble to share with audiences their unique expressions of Western heritage and culture: the tall tales, the unsung heroes, the grand moments and everyday defeats.

The pompous and flowery need not apply.

The Gathering also promotes the continuity of Western tradition by involving area children through an extensive artists-in-the-schools program, and opportunities for kids to perform and publish their own original poetry.

Sierra Vista is located about 30 miles south of the I-10 Freeway (Exit 302) at the base of the Huachuca Mountains, making it an easy Tucson getaway or local entertainment commute within Cochise County. The town of 40,000 offers a wide range of accommodations and restaurants. Headline performances are held in the comfortable, 1300-seat Buena Performing Arts Center.

For an extra dash of Western flavor, visitors can enjoy the nearby historic towns of Tombstone and Bisbee.