SAN ANGELO, Texas — The historic cowboy era in the United States took place largely in the mid-1800s and early-1900s.
However, the iconic cowboy culture is still prevalent in much of the western U.S. today, including in the Concho Valley.
From Sept. 30-Oct. 1, the 2022 Cowboy Way Jubilee is set to take place at Fort Concho in San Angelo to honor wranglers young and old.
"It's an event fashioned after old fashioned cowboy gatherings," owner and founder Leslei Fisher Ford said. "So it's a little bit of music, a little bit of poetry, some celebrities, western authors...so it's just how to be a cowboy kind of thing."
This is the first year of the jubilee event with a full line-up of musicians, actors and other iconic Texans who want to acknowledge the cowboy way of life.
1960s western actors Gary Clarke from The Virginian and Thomas Worrell from The Alamo will be in attendance over the weekend, as well as San Angelo author Linda Thorsen Bond and historian/banjo player Joe Weaver, to name a few.
Some cast members of The Virginian will be part of a private event but the majority of the weekend is open to the public.
Fisher Ford said visitors from across the country will be at the event and Fort Concho is the perfect location to bring her idea to life. She also added the importance of cowboy culture in the modern world, noting their enduring relevance.
"The world still needs cowboys," Ford said. "As long as we need food, we're gonna need cowboys 'cuz cattles don't raise themselves."
Tickets are $25 per day and there is a registration form online. Visitors can also purchase tickets at the entrance.
"The skills of the cowboy are essential even today," Fisher Ford said. "We don't realize how much the cowboy culture is part of American life but it really is."
Go to cowboywayjubilee.com for more information on the event schedule, registration and additional details.
