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13th Annual Kamloops Cowboy Festival
March 13-15, 2009
By Mag Mawhinney
"Festival Bound" That was the enticing invitation, beautifully painted by this year's
festival poster artist, Lesley White.
The image of a cowboy troubadour on horseback depicted the true essence of what a cowboy
festival is all about. Folks were "bound" to have a wonderful time as soon as they walked
through the doors of Forsters Convention Centre. Through a bustle of activity, volunteers
were ready to steer them in the right direction to hear great music and poetry and to
view some of the highest quality western craftsmanship found anywhere.
Festival organizers with two-way radios flashing on their hips and over 100 hard-working
volunteers did their very best to make everyone feel welcome and to ensure everything ran
smoothly. This event increases in popularity each year and Forsters staff was very
helpful, working diligently to make folks comfortable. Their delicious buffet dinners
were plentiful with lots of variety and they were speedy in setting up extra seating for
the over-flow crowd after the dinners in the theatre. That was even needed for the
kick-off party on Thursday night! A huge crowd of weekend pass holders came to listen
to a mix of Rising Stars "jam" with some of the seasoned performers. These jams
continued after the features every night and even spilled over into the Green Room.
Singer/musician Gordie West, bass player Mike Dygert, along with honky tonk piano player
Jinny Lowe from Idaho, entertained folks in fine style during the dinner hours. As
part of the after dinner show, can can dancers Les Folles Jambettes brought their lively
act down the aisles and danced to some music reminiscent of the gold rush days.
In the festival store, photos of poets and pickers were highly visible above their
products and the room was large and accommodating, complete with signing table. The
huge room across the hall held The Western Art and Gear Show and 50 artisans and trades
people displayed their excellent works. Among the most unique was Jordan Straker's magnificent woodcarvings,
pieces of the west so life-like you'd swear they were real! Jordan donated one of his
carvings to the BCCHS to raise funds for future art show prize money and the lucky bidder
went home very happy.
All 43 performers, ranging from preteen to octogenarian, were uniquely talented and
well-received by appreciative audiences. Eleven Americans added greatly to the success
of the festival and one of them was the oldest--eighty-seven-year-old, award-winning
poet Georgie Sicking. She was as sharp as a tack and proudly told her stories with a
style befitting a true "cowboy". There were many standing ovations throughout the
weekend and no performer received more than singer/master guitarist Ed Peekeekoot. He gets
my vote as the "all-round entertainer" of the festival. His charisma, humour and talent
that just wouldn't quit, lit up the stage. He literally became one with every
instrument he played...and I counted four. He even had the northern lights magically
dancing on his guitar strings, but when he played "Malaguena", the crowd went wild! He
cheerfully accompanied other performers, including one of the Rising Stars, and filled
in spots where entertainment was needed. I also commend the enthusiasm of Horse Crazy,
three fun-loving gals from Washington State. They are talented singers/musicians in
their own right, but their harmony is outstanding! They just love to perform and that
comes across every time they step up to the mics. One time, in the open mic area in the
Fireside Room at the Calvary Community Church, only four people were in the audience,
but Horse Crazy entertained as though there were five hundred ... but it wasn't long
before the room was full. One of the gals from this musical group won the commemorative
2009 Kamloops Cowboy Festival silver belt buckle which was raffled off and you couldn't
wipe the smile from her face. Congratulations, Jennifer!
Performers had alternate sets on main stages at Forsters and the Church and open mics
were set up in the Fireside Room and in one corner of the Trade Show area. These small
stages were also utilized for the two preliminary rounds of the Rising Stars Showcase,
where judges based their findings from a list of requirements on their ballots. The
final round was presented in the dinner theatre on Sunday afternoon and the winners of
each category, one for poetry and one for music, received a cheque for $1,000 from CKJC
Country 103, the sponsors of the event. Eleven-year-old singer, Naomi Bristow from
Ontario, won the hearts of the judges and audience with her polished stage presence and
superb yodeling and cowboy poet, Mel Brown from Alberta, rhymed some great cowboy logic
to rack up the votes. Tiffany Dowhan, Scott Laitre, Frank Ritcey, and Lyn Melnechenko
also lined their pockets with $500 each as runner-ups. Congratulations go to all!
Many other award presentations took place at the festival: an Art of the West Exhibition
and Sale with several categories; the BCCHS Student Scholarship Awards (one for cowboy
craft, one for written word and three art awards); the Joe Marten Memorial Award for
the promotion and preservation of Cowboy/Western Heritage in the province of BC; four
inductions into the Cowboy Hall of Fame; one fundraiser silent auction for saddle maker,
Don Loewen, who had been hospitalized and another silent auction of many western products
for the BCCHS Student Scholarship funds. There were also several workshops and seminars
throughout the weekend and I attended Gary Fjellgaard's hour on songwriting. About 35
novices bent their ears to Gary's expertise as one of our country's most creative
songwriters.
The Monarch District Girl Guides, under the leadership of Linda Puhallo, served up some
great vittles all weekend, which included two dinner entrees for about 140 people both
Friday and Saturday nights. This played a great service for folks who wished to stay in
the Church area to watch the evening presentations instead of attending Forster's dinner
theatre shows.
Sunday's Cowboy Church was packed to capacity (about 800) and Abe Zacharias welcomed them
in by singing some wonderful gospel tunes like Jesus, It's Me Again. Nine of the main
stage performers participated in the service with spiritual poems or songs. The Church's
Pastor Don, who has a great sense of humour, came in carrying a match on the end of a
stick and presented this "redneck flashlight" to Mike Puhallo. After Mike's story about
having a recurrent dream, which in reality had saved his wife's life, Pastor Don's joke
about "seeing the light only once", got the crowd's attention. Poet/preacher Bryn
Thiessen followed that up by advising everyone to pay attention to the signs and to
trust God because he's in control.
The festival ended with one last dinner theatre show where 100 seats were reserved as a
token of appreciation to the many wonderful volunteers. Without them, the organizers
and all the generous sponsors, the festival could not have taken place. I just know
there were many special moments of this event that are "bound" to draw folks back again
next year and I'll bet they bring some friends, too.
To see lots of Kamloops Cowboy Festival Photos by Donna Smith go to ...
community.webshots.com/user/mrspumpkin
To see lots of Kamloops Cowboy Festival Photos by Jerry Stainer go to ...
community.webshots.com/user/paulstainer
Thanks to Donna and Jerry for some great lasting memories of Kamloops 2009!
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