April is National Poetry month, and therefore a great time for the annual City of Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival. Just a few of the Western performers throughout the week are poets, however, because there is a wide range of entertainment, including music, drama and outdoor activities. This year there

is more in store for little buckaroos as well.

In many ways, Santa Clarita cowpokes will be back in the saddle, as usual – watching the Old West come alive at the Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio for its 17th year. While festival activities begin on April 22, the two-day run at Melody Ranch is April 24-25 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Visitors can shop for Western merchandise at Mercantile Row and get some grub at the Gold Rush Food Court. Stage shows will perform regularly throughout Melody Ranch and “Living History” performers stroll the streets.

There is also a range of off-site activities, from a Wyatt Earp play and a chuckwagon dinner show in Santa Clarita to a day at the Gene Autry National Center in Los Angeles.

At Melody Ranch this year the kids can visit the “edutainment” area to make a real cowboy lasso or rope a steer. There is a pioneer living exhibit where cowkids can pan for gold and spin wool. They can meet authors during Buckaroo Story Time in the Buckaroo Book Shop. The Melody Ranch Motion Picture Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and admission is free.

A lot of the festival’s energy comes from the stages, such as the Cowboy Corner Stage and Medicine Show Stage, where entertainment is included in the price of general admission. Acts will feature cowboy poetry, music, a saloon piano, magic shows and banjo music.

Ballet Folklorico and Mariachi Alma de Mexico will take the Heritage Stage at 10:30 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday, where they offer the audience a chance to experience the Mexican flavor of the West through song and dance. The Eagle Spirit Dancers and the Wild Horse Singers and Dancers will represent Native American Culture. Buffalo Soldiers have planned an encampment during the Festival, open to visits from the public.

Cowboy Festival Tickets

General Admission:

Adults: $20

Age 3-11: $10

Under 3: Free



2-Day Pass:

Adults: $30

12 & under: $15

www.cowboyfestival.org

(661) 286-4021