Cowpoke Fall Gathering returns to Loomis next week

The 27th annual Cowpoke Fall Gathering returns to Loomis on Nov. 11 to Nov. 13 at the Blue Goose Event Center. The annual extravaganza highlights cowboy poetry, music and storytelling. The nonprofit Cowpoke Fall Gathering was founded by Bert and Carol Braun in 1995 to keep the American cowboy heritage alive and to raise funds for other area nonprofit organizations. The Brauns owned the Cowpoke Feed Store in Loomis for 30 years. "The Cowpoke Fall Gathering is a long-time tradition in Loomis," Carol Braun said. "The event is a great time and has been very successful, due to the first-class cowboy entertainers we bring to town." This year's kick-off gala is on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. Meet the performers while enjoying a meal catered by Jackson Catering and Events. A silent auction and a sneak peek at this year's poets and singers rounds out the reception. Emcee is Larry Maurice, a cowboy, horse wrangler and packer in Nevada's Eastern Sierra and the high deserts, and a frequent Cowpoke performer. On Nov. 12, audience members will hear a mix of cowboy music, stories and verse, starting at 7 p.m. Performers are Dave Stamey, Sourdough Slim, Brigid and Johnny Reedy, Maurice and Bill Brewster. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show is at 7 p.m. All the performers return at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 with more cowboy music, stories and verse. Saturday's show is also designated "Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night. Wear Pink to Support Breast Cancer Awareness! Doors open at 6 p.m. This year's performers are all Cowpoke favorites, with the exception of Brigid and Johnny Reedy who are new to the Cowpoke Fall Gathering stage. Stamey has so far been voted seven times Entertainer of the Year, seven times Male Performer of the Year and five times Songwriter of the Year by the Western Music Association. Stamey also received the Will Rogers Award from the Academy of Western Artists. In 2016, Stamey was inducted into the Western Music Hall of Fame. Rick Crowder or Sourdough Slim, makes his Paradise area neighbors proud. The cowboy singer/yodeler, who also plays accordion, guitar, ukulele and harmonica, has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in New York. He's just as comfortable at the National Cowboy Gathering in Elko, Nevada as he is on past Cowpoke stages. Sister and brother Brigid and Johnny Reedy will share their love of classic cowboy music, poetry and Montana fiddle traditions with audience members. Brigid Reedy, 20, has appeared at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering for the past seven years singing, playing fiddle and reciting poetry. Johnny "Guitar" Reedy is 15. Brewster is a feedlot cowboy, a ranch cowboy, a rodeo cowboy and a cow trader. One-hundred percent of Cowpoke Fall Gathering proceeds goes to nonprofit organizations in need of funds. The event raises between $20,000 and $30,000 each year. This year's beneficiaries are Loomis Basin Christmas Basket, Wellness Within and Ride to Walk. Past beneficiaries include: * Ride to Walk: A therapeutic horseback riding program for neurologically disabled children in Lincoln.* South Placer Heritage Foundation, which is responsible for the upkeep and renovation of the Blue Goose Event Center.* Wellness Within: Chosen for this year's Tough Enough To Wear Pink Funds, the Mind-Body Wellness Center offers free services to patients, survivors and families coping with cancer stresses.* Friends of the Del Oro Pool, which raises funds to replace the aging pool at Del Oro High School in Loomis. Tickets for next week's three nights of Cowpoke performances can be bought at https://cowpokefallgathering.com/index.php/tickets/buy-tickets/. The Blue Goose Event Center is at 3550 Taylor Road. For more information, call 916-652-6290, email cowpokefallgathering@gmail.com or visit https://cowpokefallgathering.com.