‘Stories of ranchers and rustlers retold, over the pipes as the embers grow cold— these are the tunes that old memories play. Make me a cowboy again for a day.’
(Author unknown)

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A night of cowboy poetry and music – and a cowboy “gourmet” dinner – will be offered on Friday, Nov. 1, and Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Cedar Valley Seminary in Osage.

The event will feature poetry, stories and music as seen through the eyes of cowboys and ranchers, presented by poet and storyteller Marty Blocker, the Double J Wranglers and poet Brooke Turner.

Blocker is a working cowboy and ranch manager for a large cattle operation just west of Cody, Nebraska. Besides writing his own poems, he also recites the works of past and present masters, presenting a wide range of styles and stories. He was the All-Around High point winner of the 2007 National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo in Hot Springs, South Dakota, and the featured artist at the 2010 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada, as well as the 2017 Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Durango, Colorado.

The Double J Wranglers are a cowboy and western group from Shell Rock. Members Jim Gates, Jim Meyer, Larry Wildeboer and Claire Emerson perform in over 20 Cowboy Church programs a year, among other engagements. In 2013, they played for a group from Eisenach, Germany, who came to Waverly as part of the Sister City program, and will travel to Eisenach in November as part of a cultural exchange.

Brooke Ryan Turner, a rancher from Clarinda, performs his poetry in venues ranging from large national conventions to small county fairs. He has been featured in numerous magazines and television shows both in the Midwest and across the nation.

The event is sponsored by the Fine Arts Council of Mitchell County and Cedar Valley Seminary, with organizing support from Mike and Carol Wertz.

A cash bar will be available beginning at 5 p.m., followed by the 6 p.m. meal and 7 p.m. performance.

The cowboy meal includes smoked meat loaf, carved top sirloin, chopped salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, cheddar cornbread and cinnamon apple bread pudding with caramel sauce and ice cream.

Tickets are $25 and are only being sold in advance of the event. Tickets can be purchased at the Osage Chamber of Commerce and the Cedar Valley Seminary; CUSB Bank, First Citizens Bank, and Home Trust & Savings Bank, all in Osage. Tickets may be also purchased from Mike Wertz by calling him at 641-420-5444.

The Fine Arts Council of Mitchell County is a non-profit organization committed to supporting and providing fine arts opportunities to the citizens of Mitchell County.