The 20th Annual Cowboy Festival in Santa Clarita!
By Erin & Melody
On Saturday, April 20 and Sunday April 21 the 20th Annual Cowboy Festival in Santa Clarita, CA took place. What better place to host a cowboy festival than at the famous Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio? A pretty fitting place if you ask me! The best Western performers were rounded up to entertain and delight everyone. Tall tales and plaintive melodies of the working cowboys could be heard around town, as well as traditional songs and dances of the Hispanic and Native American cultures. You truly could see history come alive with demonstrations of trick roping, blacksmithing, quilting, and an abundance of children’s activities from the cowboy era.
The event was a huge success and attracted the largest attendance of any event in the history of the Festival. It’s also estimated that Saturday’s crowd was the largest the City had ever seen in a single day. Being that I love to “Horse Around,” it would only be fitting for “Horsing Around In LA” to attend the cowboy festival, right? We were provided with two press passes to go out and enjoy the Cowboy Festival. 😉 Enjoy the pictures, and hope to see you all at the next Cowboy Festival next year!
This was the blacksmith’s shop. The two guys at the anvil (front and at right) are blacksmiths. They were very busy all day making custom horse shoes with people’s names hammered into them. They had a lot of tools out and such but they didn’t really do a demonstration or anything unfortunately.
This was inside of a tent that was full of little booths/nooks that featured all things kid oriented from the olden days. This was a gold panning booth were kids could “salt” their tins and pan for gold (fools gold nuggets). The guy with the hat in the top right corner was teaching the kids the proper way to swirl and how gold is the heaviest metal and would sink to the bottom of their pans. He was also telling stories about gold miners and their claims.
When we checked in at the Media Tent Melody was told that she had “HAD to try” Peach Cowboy Cobbler. After strolling through Main street which has been used in what seems like hundreds of TV shows and Movies (literally!! Almost every movie and most TV shows that are westerns have some part of their filming done on the main street there or inside of a building with the main street showing in the background through…
Those giant black pots on the backside are dutch ovens. They have hot coals on top and on bottom to cook the cobbler. They went through a lot of cobbler!!! Also, cowboys made the cobbler! Men in jeans dressed as cowboys cooking pie over an outdoor fire. What more could you want?
These are replica Calvary saddles. They had them on display next to a Morgan horse inside a livery stable. Unfortunately they didn’t have any real info on them.
This adorable young girl is Kristyn Harris. I believe she is 14, and she is an amazing yodeler. She plays guitar and sings old-fashioned songs, her favorite is yodeling. She’s really good. She sang for about 20 minutes and had the stage presence of an experienced performer. Not shy and very personable. The theater she was singing in was packed to the gills for her performance and there were people crammed around every door and window just to see her.
This man is an amazing trick roper. He was out in the street all day roping people and even gave the kids his rope and taught them to twirl a rope.
This was a stage prop of a chuck wagon. Wagon trains and cattle drivers would have one of these, it was a portable kitchen responsible for making all of the food on the journey. This one had all the nick knacks and goodies that would be on a real chuck wagon. The cowboy was there to answer any question you may have had.
Sadly there were only a handful of horses at the entire Festival…. 🙁 They rode down the street and sat mounted at the end of the street answering questions about their horses and letting people pet them. They didn’t do a show or performance.
The man on the Chestnut Arabian was roping random people in the audience. Just before this picture was taken he had roped the lady in pink. She quickly pulled the rope off and laughed about it. They only rode out onto the streets for a bit, as if to just make an appearance.
This guy was playing the role of a vaquero, a paid ranch hand. He let people pet his horse and answered questions about his horse.
This booth was selling these beautifully illustrated kids books that were all horse stories. There were a lot of booths selling things. It could have been very easy to spend a lot of money here!
This very friendly lady was spinning yarn from Al paca’s hair. She was telling stories about what was expected of women in the house during the 1800’s. Most women, especially the poorer houses made their own clothes. Since they couldn’t just go to the store and buy cloth they made their own thread from animal hair. Making clothes and selling them was also a way to make a little extra money. She had a blanket that she made from Al Paca’s hair and it was super soft. Back then they used every part of their animals, nothing went to waste.
There was a banner available for anyone to sign that they were sending over seas to the men and women that are serving. We wrote a few words and signed it. They were selling cold drinks and buttons, all for non-profit and the proceeds went to send care packages to active duty military.
The Melody Ranch Museum is an old screen stage that is filled with old prop memorabilia, which is just off of the Main St.
This army jeep was used in the movie HOT SHOTS PART DEUX and in the tv show MASH. It’s the first thing you see as you walk inside the museum.
These are two brothers, the one in the green T-shirt Roy Stokes owns Coast Silver. They have a store up in Big Bear where they make anything and everything out of silver- Yay for custom orders!! Every single piece is hand made and absolutely gorgeous!! All of the carvings are done free hand, not by any machine. Their hands are covered in the scars to prove it. They started hand carving silver as boys when their father put them to work. (It was my favorite booth!) These guys had the most amazing booth!!! I wish I could buy EVERYTHING they had!!
The iconic bar set was used in several John Wayne films and in the movie Maverick.
That’s all folks! Hope you will come and check out next year’s Cowboy Festival for yourself! 😉
Disclosure: Horsing Around In LA was given two media passes to go out and enjoy the Cowboy Festival in Santa Clarita, CA. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Please ask for permission before using any photography.
This looked like an awesome time! I really like the old world feel!
Great article. Wonderful photography thank you for sharing.
Susan Hinds recently posted..Joy – The Message Behind Joy To Live
WOW! Great pics and looks like a lot of fun! Thanks for sharing!
Alexandra McAllister recently posted..Direct Marketing Coach Strategies To Brand And Boost Your Business
What a wonderful experience this must have been! The pictures really tell a story.
Meryl Hershey Beck recently posted..Inner Work
Sounds like an amazing and fun event. Thank you for sharing.
Christy Garrett recently posted..Teaching Your Toddler How to Have Good Manners: Please and Thank You
It sure looks like you had a long, fun-filled day. Thanks for sharing your adventure.
Dawn Lanier recently posted..I’m not mobile yet. Sorry about that. But my competition is. Here’s their link.
Oh my goodness these pictures are GREAT!!! I want to go!
Yvonne Brown
I went, a few years back, and loved the music and demonstrations and shows, and your pictures bring it all back. Wonderful time (although really, REALLY hot, the year I went).
Curious, though, when I was there, they had a very strict no cameras policy (though some people were sneaking pictures anyway). Did they waive it for you because you were “press,” or are they now allowing all guests to shoot pictures and video?
Beverly Diehl recently posted..Slut of the Month: Ava Gardner
Wish I lived near there-I can definitely say I would have enjoyed it!! Well-maybe not getting roped!!
Michele recently posted..$100 Amazon or PP-Revelation-the return of Mr. Breeze-Morrie Richfield-5/31
Love all the photos!! Looks like fun
It looks like the Cowboy Festival was fun! I love all the pictures of the events you post. I have to say that peach cobbler looks scrumptious!
Melinda Dunne recently posted..The One…#CHALLENGETOWRITE Day 8
It looks like fun
Betzy Carmona recently posted..Brace Then, Invisalign Now
This looks so much fun, wish we were still down near there. There was always fun stuff going on.
Thank you for taking us through your day with the pictures they are great.
Tamara Wilson recently posted..Five Simple and Easy Ways to Freshen Up Your Home
awesome that you meet cowboy men. so cool to ride on those horse.
Mel Cole recently posted..Think Saving Energy When Building A Pool
Wow superb event!!!
So much to do
So much fun!
Looks like so much fun! I so enjoy your pictures 🙂
Anita recently posted..Key Time Management Skills to do More in Less Time
Great photos and it looks like another fun time you had!
MzBaker recently posted..Baby Einstein
My kids would love that, it looks like you had a great time.
Jennifer Wiliams recently posted..When Did You Know Your Husband Was the One #ChallengeToWrite
Looks like a fun event Erin! I bet there were a lot of horses there as well
Tom H recently posted..Eat St Season 4 and Cookbook: An Interview with the Food Network’s James Cunningham
Now, this is the kind of festival that I would go and support. Fascinating!
amiableamy recently posted..NASA Rocket Launch: ATLAS V I GPS 2F-4 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
this is so cool i want to come play
becca recently posted..Fast Food Trivia
OMG! I want to go there sometimes. That is one big and memorable event.
Healy Harpster recently posted..Beautiful Day Means Fun and Play!
This looks like a much fun event!
Chubskulit Rose recently posted..4 Reasons To Create A Family Photo Album
I can tell that you had a great time. You posted great photos. I don’t think I have seen a place like that.
Liza Barnett recently posted..Choosing The Best Laundry Equipment
What an awesome event:) Gorgeous horses:)
I love the photos–I’ve always wanted to visit the Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio! Thanks so much for sharing.
Lauren Ivy Chiong recently posted..Super zombie mommy blogger #zombiemoms
That looks like such a cute (and very educational) festival 🙂
I would love to go there Erin, I added to my calendar for next year! Thanks for the post and all the pictures!
Meire Weishaupt recently posted..Quote / Words of Wisdom – Thomas Jefferson
Thank you for sharing this beautiful experience with us.
Carele Belanger recently posted..Interview with Sue Nagyova
This looks like an event our family would love to attend. I’ll have to keep this in mind for next year. We live in cowboy country but add the movies into any event and it’s always fun. Thanks for sharing this awesome day of fun and learning with us.
Carla J Gardiner recently posted..How to Focus Your Way to Success Partnering With a Mastermind
That looks SUPER fun! Thanks for sharing all the photos…makes me wish I lived closer!
Cindy Taylor recently posted..How do YOU learn?
Looks like that was a fun time! 🙂
Looks like a lot of fun – kids & adults. Great photographs too. Thanks for sharing with us.
Gary Hyman (Social Media for Entrepreneurs) recently posted..Video Marketing: How I Got 189,286 Views On A Single Youtube Video
This must have been so much fun! I loved the pics, thanks for sharing!
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