Music for the Masses

Cheyenne hosts the Americana Music Festival.

Comments (0) By Amber Taufen Thursday, Aug 28 2008

Need to get out of town over Labor Day weekend? Look no further than our neighbor to the north: The city of Cheyenne is hosting two (count ’em) festivals this weekend, featuring the best of the West’s musicians, storytellers, poets, vendors and artisans.

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The Americana Music Festival (which comprises both the Cheyenne Cowboy Heart of the West Festival and the Magic City Bluegrass Festival) kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. with Prickly Pair, Long Road Home and Jon Chandler & the Wichitones in Cheyenne’s historic Atlas Theatre. Tomorrow, catch Mike Hurwitz, Andy Nelson, Blue Water Cowboy Band, High Plains Tradition, western-music virtuoso Otto Rosfeld (he plays everything!) and more at the Gathering Stage; $13 buys you admission to those shows. Vendors, poets and storytellers will ply their trades in the Depot Lobby from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for free, and outside you’ll find a farmers’ market, trolley tours, horseshoeing demonstrations and free carriage rides. Later, enjoy a chuckwagon dinner ($25), followed by a free Whiskey Trip concert at 7 p.m.

On the bluegrass side of things, from 10 a.m. to noon in Lions Park, you’ll find a free, fun and informal music lesson; bring your own banjo, bass, fiddle, mandolin or guitar. Bluegrass bands will play sets in the park from noon to 9:45 p.m.

And there’s more, including a free Cowboy Church session on Sunday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., a Cowboy Brunch ($15.95) at 10:30 a.m. and more bluegrass from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Visit www.cheyennemusic.org or call 1-307-778-3133.
Aug. 29-31, 2008