Western Slope Cowboy Gathering 2026: Cowboy Poetry and Music in Grand Junction This Weekend
The Western Slope Cowboy Gathering returns November 6 and 7, 2026 at the Grand Valley Event Center. Free day sessions, $20 evening shows, and a lineup led by co-founders Peggy Malone and Terry Nash.
The Western Slope Cowboy Gathering returns to Grand Junction this weekend, November 6 and 7, 2026, for its 11th year of cowboy poetry and western music at the Grand Valley Event Center, 2400 Consistory Ct. Daytime sessions are free with donations accepted, evening shows are $20 a night or $30 for a two-day pass, and the lineup runs from national award winners to local student poets. If you only make one indoor event in the Grand Valley this fall, make it this one.
Here is what the Gathering is, who to watch for, the full schedule shape, and how to plan your visit, plus a well-earned thank you to the sponsors who keep the day sessions free.
What is the Western Slope Cowboy Gathering?
Cowboy poetry grew out of the campfire: after a day of work on a drive or a ranch, cowboys entertained each other with tall tales, rhymes and folk songs. That tradition is alive and well, from the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada to right here on the Western Slope.
The Western Slope Cowboy Gathering was started in 2015 by three locals: poet Terry Nash, singer Peggy Malone and poet Nona Kelley Carver. Eleven years on, it is hosted by KAFM Community Radio and gathers some of the best local and national cowboy poets and western musicians for two days and nights of family-friendly entertainment in Grand Junction.
This year carries a bittersweet note: co-founder Nona Kelley Carver has announced her retirement from the stage after some 35 years of writing and reciting cowboy poetry. The Gathering is paying tribute to her legacy this weekend, and it is a fitting send-off for one of the people who built this event.
Western Slope Cowboy Gathering 2026 at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Dates | Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7, 2026 |
| Venue | Grand Valley Event Center, 2400 Consistory Ct, Grand Junction, CO |
| Day sessions | Friday 12 to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm. FREE, donations accepted |
| Evening shows | Both nights 7 to 9:30 pm. $20 per evening, $30 for a 2-day pass |
| Tickets | At the door or online via the Gathering website |
| Lodging deal | Grand Vista Hotel, $69 per night plus tax, mention "Western Slope Cowboy Gathering" |
Tickets and the full session-by-session schedule are on the official site: westernslopecowboygathering.com.
Peggy Malone: 60 years of making rooms smile
If the Gathering has a heart, it is co-founder Peggy Malone. Peggy has been sharing her love of music for more than 60 years, and whether she is singing at a senior home or headlining a cowboy gathering, she makes sure everyone leaves with a smile.
Her trophy shelf tells the story. The Academy of Western Artists named her Female Vocalist of 2023. The Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame made her Entertainer of the Year in 2013, Female Vocalist in 2016 and gave her its Legends of Legends Award in 2017. Her recording "Singin' A Cowboy Song" won a 2001 Emmy Award, and her song "Appaloosa" is the official club song of the Appaloosa Horse Club in Moscow, Idaho.
And the tributes keep coming: "Pickin' Peggy," a song written for her by Rick Kennerknecht of Outlaw Music, is out now. You can watch the music video here.
Catch Peggy in the Friday 2 pm Classics session, the Saturday 4 pm day session, and her featured set Saturday evening at 7:30 pm. You can find her music and schedule at pickinpeggy.com.
Terry Nash: the real thing, from Loma
Co-founder Terry Nash is a beef producer from Loma, Colorado, and one of the most sought-out cowboy poets working today. His tales are of the West you do not see from the interstate or the rodeo bleachers. He lives the life he writes about, and he is a master at putting you in the saddle next to him.
In 2018 the International Western Music Association named him Male Poet of the Year, and his album "A Good Ride" took CD of the Year. In 2021 the IWMA gave him a Special Achievement award for the book "Four Aces and A Queen." He performs at gatherings from Elko to Abilene to Prescott, and this weekend he is on home ground.
Terry gives the welcome at both evening shows, recites in the Friday 2 pm Classics session, and takes the Friday evening stage at 8:30 pm. More at terrynashcowboypoet.com.
The 2026 lineup: who else to watch
The performer list runs deep this year. A few highlights:
The Arizona Wildflowers are five siblings raised on a southern Arizona ranch, all state and national fiddle champions and serious rodeo competitors. Ranelle has played the Grand Ole Opry, and ten-year-old Isley makes her own Opry debut later this year. They play Friday at 3 pm, Friday evening at 7:50 pm and Saturday at 4 pm.
Dale Burson, a fourth-generation Texas Panhandle rancher whose songs have been recorded by Red Steagall, anchors Friday night with a 45-minute set. Ryan Fritz, a Wrangler Heritage Award winner with ten albums behind him, closes Saturday night. Jeneve Rose Mitchell, the Colorado off-the-grid multi-instrumentalist who made the top 14 on American Idol at age 15, plays Saturday day and evening. Susie Knight, Colorado Country Music Hall of Famer, emcees both evening shows. And Saturday evening opens with student poets presented by Cindy Pearson, which tells you everything about where this tradition is headed.
Rounding out the weekend: Clancy Ballard, Bill Clark, Darrell Holden, Allen and Jill Kirkham, Danny McCurry, Dale Page, The Russellers with Beverly's musical saw, Lindy Simmons, Rocky Sullivan and Joel Alden White, plus open mic sessions hosted by Dennis Russell at noon both days. Full bios are on the performers page.
The evening shows, hour by hour
Both evening shows open at 7 pm with a prayer from Tom Moulden, the national anthem sung by Abby Carleo, and a welcome from Terry Nash, with Susie Knight keeping the night moving as emcee.
Friday night: Clancy Ballard opens at 7:10 with songs built on true stories from his southern Utah ranching roots. Bill Clark, the Plateau Valley singer who took Male Vocalist honors at the CCMA in 2019, follows at 7:30. The Arizona Wildflowers light the place up at 7:50, and after intermission Terry Nash takes over at 8:30 before Dale Burson closes with a 45-minute headline set.
Saturday night: the student poets open at 7:10, Peggy Malone sings at 7:30, Jeneve Rose Mitchell follows at 7:50 with her yodeling and whatever instruments she decides to carry on stage, Danny McCurry recites at 8:30, and Ryan Fritz brings it home from 8:50 to 9:35.
Day sessions are looser and just as good: four or five acts an hour in rotating sets, with the Friday 2 pm Classics hour (Bill Clark, Peggy Malone, Terry Nash and Rocky Sullivan performing the old standards) a particular don't-miss. If you have never heard cowboy poetry live, the free day sessions are a no-risk way to find out why rooms full of strangers keep laughing and tearing up in the same ten minutes.
Thank you, sponsors
Two full days of free daytime entertainment does not happen without generous support. The Gathering asks one thing in return: patronize these businesses. We agree, and we thank every one of them.
Major sponsor: KAFM Community Radio. Cattle Baron: Edward and Lois Gardner. Wagon Boss: Patterson Photography and Western Colorado Hearing Clinic. Headliner: Family Health West. Top Hand: Jake Jabs American Furniture Warehouse, Reckless Brewing of Fruita, Rivers End Dental and Strayhorn Grill. Buckaroo: Mesa County Woolgrowers. Cowhand: Larry and Norma Anderson, Calhan Edfast Mortuary, Fruita Tavern, Fruita Coop, Grand Valley Power, Norm and Sharon Hansen, Josephine's Italian Restaurant, Legacy Wealth Management, Mesa Turf Masters, Monument Sport and Spine, Overhead Door, Scotty's Muffler, Suzanne's Critter Corner, Tiara Rado Animal Hospital and VisualEyes Eyecare. Friends of the Gathering: Mercer Automotive.
A note of disclosure: Rick Kennerknecht of Outlaw Music (outlawmusic.ai) is a headline sponsor of the 2026 Gathering, and Rick is also the owner of this site, GrandJunction.guide, and Fruita.com. Sponsoring the Gathering is our way of backing the western music community we write about; it does not mean the Gathering endorses Outlaw Music, and this article was not reviewed by the event before publishing.
Make a weekend of it
Coming in from out of town, or turning the Gathering into a full Grand Junction weekend? A few pointers from our guides:
Stay: the Grand Vista Hotel is offering Gathering guests $69 per night plus tax; call 970-241-8411 and mention the event. For more options by budget and neighborhood, see our Grand Junction hotels guide.
Eat: downtown is ten minutes from the venue. Start with our picks in the restaurants guide, or make a pre-show stop at one of the eight local breweries.
Daytime between sessions: Colorado National Monument is at its quietest in November. Our things to do guide and Palisade wine country guide cover the classics, and November weather here is usually mild enough for a short rim hike.
Budget: run your own numbers with the trip cost calculator. With the $69 hotel deal and free day sessions, this is one of the cheapest great weekends you can have in western Colorado. More local happenings are on our events page.
FAQ: Western Slope Cowboy Gathering 2026
When and where is the Western Slope Cowboy Gathering?
Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7, 2026 at the Grand Valley Event Center, 2400 Consistory Ct, Grand Junction, Colorado.
How much does it cost?
Day sessions are free with donations accepted (Friday 12 to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm). Evening shows run 7 to 9:30 pm and cost $20 per evening, or $30 for a two-day pass.
Is the Gathering family friendly?
Yes. It is two days and nights of clean, family-oriented cowboy poetry and western music, including a student poets segment on Saturday evening.
Who founded the Western Slope Cowboy Gathering?
Terry Nash, Peggy Malone and Nona Kelley Carver started it in 2015. It is now hosted by KAFM Community Radio and 2026 marks its 11th year.