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News • New Mexico • United States • 2012-03-04

Cowboy Days Rides Again at New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum

The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum\'s 13th Cowboy Days festival will have the luck of the Irish.

Cowboy Days, the museum\'s annual tribute to New Mexico\'s ranching heritage, begins on St. Patrick\'s Day, March 17, and continues on Sunday, March 18. The event is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days and admission is $4 per person. Children 4 and under are admitted free.

The festival also will have a centennial flavor this year as New Mexico celebrates 100 years as a state. A living history performance, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. each day, is called \"Time Travel to 1912: A New Mexico Statehood Celebration\" where visitors can interact with characters from that era as they celebrate statehood, debate issues of the day, deliver soapbox speeches, play games and introduce you to life in 1912.

A centennial scavenger hunt also will take place, with finishers eligible for prizes. Junior Cowpoke Training returns for the second straight year and children who go through a series of fun activities and games are eligible for a certificate. Pony rides, featuring the museum\'s new ponies, will be offered, and there also will be horseback rides in the pasture and stagecoach rides around the parking lot.

Some of the top ropers in the area will compete at the museum\'s roping arena both days, and the charros from Vado, N.M., return to do Mexican-style rodeo demonstrations at 3:30 p.m. each day.

Demonstrations are a popular element in all of the museum\'s special events. Attendees may enjoy blacksmithing, horseshoeing, roping, sewing, weaving, dowsing, and chuck wagon cooking. On Sunday only, Pat Howard and his working dogs will demonstrate herding.

Live music will be ongoing at three different venues, and performers such as Hot Lead, Eddie Harrison, Chris Freeh, Kenny Arroyos, James Michael, Yolanda Martinez, Skunk Valley, Jim Jones, and Randy Granger will be among the entertainers. Authors from the Western Writers of America will do readings in the museum\'s theater, and cowboy poet Bob Neely, and author Slim Randles also will entertain.

The popular gunfight re-enactments will take place twice both days, and there also will be an old-fashioned medicine show, and a 19th Century Fashion Show.

A variety of arts and crafts vendors will have booths throughout the museum campus, and there also will be plenty of food.

Also during the event, the museum will host a plant and tree sale at its greenhouse. Admission is required for the sale.

For more information, visit www.nmcowboydays.com or call the museum at (575) 522-4100, or Helping Hands Event Planning at (575) 527-1232. New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces, NM 88011. www.nmfarmandranchmuseum.org.

Schedule of activities

Saturday, March 17

Ongoing activities both days - Plant & Tree Sale at the Greenhouse; children\'s crafts and activities; horseback, pony and stagecoach rides; and demonstrations including weaving, sewing, blacksmithing, horseshoeing, chuck wagon cooking, dowsing, and demo activities featuring the Back Country Horsemen and the New Mexico State University Horsemen\'s Association. Also, on Sunday only, Pat Howard and his working dogs will do herding demonstrations.

10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.: Team roping competition begins at the Roping Arena.

10 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Rayzor Dent reading from \"Santa Ana\" in the Theater.

10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.: Eddie Harrison singing in the Courtyard.

10 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Gunfight re-enactments in front of the Bruce King Building.

10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Chris Freeh playing at the Pavilion.

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Parade of Breeds in the Round Pen.

11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Medicine Show in the Amphitheater.

11:30 a.m. 1 p.m.: John Duncklee reading from \"Grant Camp Massacre\" in the Theater.

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.: Hot Lead performs in the Amphitheater.

12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Randy Granger sings at the Pavilion.

1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Time Travel to 1912: A New Mexico Statehood Celebration at the Horse & Cattle Barn.

1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Kenny Arroyos singing in the Courtyard.

1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Slim Randles in the Theater.

1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: 19th Century Fashion Show in the Theater.

1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Yolanda Martinez performs at the Pavilion.

2 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Parade of Breeds at the Round Pen.

2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Slim Randles in the Amphitheater.

3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Gunfight re-enactments in front of the Bruce King Building.

3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Linda Jacobs reading from \"Not Just the Facts, Ma\'am\" in the Theater.

3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Cowboy poet Bob Neely in the Amphitheater.

3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Jim Jones singing at the Pavilion.

3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Charros Mexican-style Rodeo demonstrations in the Round Pen.

4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Skunk Valley performs in the Courtyard.

Sunday, March 18

10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Linda Jacobs reading \"Not Just the Facts, Ma\'am\" in the Theater.

10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Eddie Harrison singing in the Courtyard.

10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Gunfight re-enactments in front of the Bruce King Building.

10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Chris Freeh singing at the Pavilion.

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Team roping competition at the Roping Arena.

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Parade of Breeds at the Round Pen.

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: John Duncklee reading from \"Grant Camp Massacre\" in the Theater.

11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Medicine Show in the Amphitheater.

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.: Hot Lead performs in the Amphitheater.

12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Randy Granger performs at the Pavilion.

1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Time Travel to 1912: A New Mexico Statehood Celebration at the Horse & Cattle Barn.

1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Kenny Arroyos sings in the Courtyard.

1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Slim Randles in the Theater.

1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: 19th Century Fashion Show in the Theater.

1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Yolanda Martinez performs at the Pavilion.

2 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Parade of Breeds at the Round Pen.

2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Slim Randles in the Amphitheater.

3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Gunfight re-enactments in front of the Bruce King Building.

3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: James Michael sings at the Pavilion.

3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Cowboy poety Bob Neely in the Amphitheater.

3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Jim Jones reading from \"The West in Song\" in the Theater.

3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Charros Del Pedregal Mexican-style Rodeo demonstrations in the Round Pen.

4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Skunk Valley performs in the Courtyard.

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