The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings

The BC Cowboy Heritage Society Proudly Presents

The 19th Anniversary!

The Kamloops Cowboy Festival

March 12th - 15th, 2015

Thursday & Sunday evenings are a
bonus for weekend pass holders

We've gained the reputation of being the

Biggest and Best Festival of its kind in Canada

as well as one of the best in North America!

Don't miss out on the Sunday performances:
Afternoon Rising Star Showcase finals!
Evening main feature dinner show!
See the Sunday evening Schedule for details!

We acknowledge the financial support of Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters

Good news ... there will once again be an Alberta Bus Tour
to the 2015 Kamloops Cowboy Festival ...
See the details here

Two BCCHS Fund Raiser Raffles!

The 2015 Commemorative Belt Buckle

This has become a favourite annual raffle. Tickets are $10 each and the winner will receive a solid silver, custom handmade, 2015 Kamloops Cowboy Festival commemorative belt buckle valued at about $750.00. It's a one of a kind buckle too, hand made by Merritt silversmith Richard Tenisch.

click to enlarge A past year's buckle shown

There are only 300 tickets printed for this raffle and they're $10.00 each. Tickets will be sold in the trade show area, at the information desks, and at the General Stores - ask any volunteer!
or order now by email or phone with a Visa or MC. Toll Free: 1-888-763-2221

click to enlarge An example of a GreyWolf Metal Art firepit - the raffle prize will have different art work.

The 2015 second, but just as popular, raffle ...

There's two prizes on this one - the first prize is a custom made metal screened firepit donated by GreyWolf Metal Art and valued at $750.00. These firepits are one of their top selling items! The second prize winner will receive two weekend passes for the 2016 Kamloops Cowboy Festival and three nights accommodation at the Ramada Kamloops Hotel.

There are only 900 tickets printed for this raffle and you get 3 tickets for $10.00. Tickets will be sold in the trade show area, at the information desks, and at the General Stores - ask any volunteer!
or order now by email or phone with a Visa or MC. Toll Free: 1-888-763-2221

Girl Guide Concession "COME CHECK US OUT"

Don't miss out on the meal deal of the weekend ... it's quick, it's very reasonable, and it'll be super good. Plus - you'll be supporting the Girl Guides, too!

That's right, once again the "Girl Guides" will be running the daytime concession at the Calvary Church on Friday and Saturday and will be serving such things as bunwiches, homemade soups, chili & bun, BBQ beef on bun , and beverages hot or cold - all for very reasonable prices!

Also ...
Friday night supper in the church gym will be served from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. - pasta dinner with salads, dinner bun, dessert, and beverage - all for only $15.00.

Saturday night the supper in the church gym will be roast beef dinner with salads, dinner bun, beverage, and dessert - only $20.00 - served from 5:00 to 6:00 pm.

Book early for supper as they sell out every year - tickets will be available at the Girl Guide concession the day of the dinner and must be pre-purchased.

Possibly the best grub in town!

Back to Index

Thursday Night "Welcome to Cowboy Festival" Event!

Ramada Kamloops Hosts Thursday Night Kickoff Dinner Dance

$39 (including tax & gratuity) admission includes the Cowboy Buffet, lots of great entertainment, and the Dance! Shuttle busses will be available from the Festival headquarters. Featuring Albert's Lone Prairie and Friends.

Happy Hour @ 6:00, Dinner Buffet @ 6:45, Entertainment @ 8:00pm. The buffet will include: Buns and Butter, Mixed Field Green Salad, Caesar Salad, Pickle Tray, Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Fresh Market Vegetables with Seasoned Butter, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Vegetarian Lasagna, Chef's Choice of Dessert, and Coffee or Tea! Tickets are available at the Horse Barn or the Ramada Kamloops, or by phoning 1-888-763-2221.

click to enlarge

Back to Index

Festival Hours

• Wednesday and Thursday 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM pre-Festival entertainment at the Horse Barn with Gordie West.
  
  
• Thursday evening: Dinner Dance at the Ramada Kamloops details
  
  
• Thursday 7:00 PM Kickoff party at the Kamloops Convention Center - this is free for all weekend pass holders! (but you must have a weekend pass)
  
  
• Friday kick off events at the Horse Barn will have entertainment from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Different Festival entertainers have been scheduled to perform ... there will be a free shuttle service.
  
  
• Friday
  • Doors open at 9:00 AM (for ticket purchases only)
  • Shuttle Bus will be running to the Horse Barn all morning
  • Trade Show & Art Show, 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
  • Daytime entertainment 12:00 - 4:45 PM
  • Evening Show (Calvary Church) 7:00 PM
  • Dinner Theatre (Convention Centre) - happy hour 5:30 - dinner & show 6:30 PM
  
  
  
• Saturday from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM the Horse Barn will again have scheduled entertainment with different Festival entertainers performing ... there will be a free shuttle service.
  
  
• Saturday
  • Doors open at 10:00 AM
  • Trade Show 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
  • Art Show 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
  • Daytime entertainment 11:00 AM - 4:45 PM
  • Evening Show (Calvary Church) 7:00 PM
  • Dinner Theatre (Forster's) - happy hour 5:30 - dinner & show 6:30 PM
  
  
• Sunday
  • Doors open & entertainment starts at 9:30 AM
  • Cowboy Church (Calvary Church) 10:30 AM to Noon
  • Trade Show & Art Show 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
  • Daytime entertainment (Convention Centre only) 11:00 AM - 2:45 PM
  • Rising Star Showcase (Convention Centre only) 3:00 - 5:00 PM
  • Dinner Theatre - happy hour 5:30 then dinner & show - weekend pass holders only

Back to Index

Ticket Information

We're sorry to inform you that we have to, for the first time in many years, put our prices up slightly for 2015. Unfortunately the convention center rate is going up therefore we have to as well. Dinner Theatre tickets for Friday and Saturday will remain the same.

• Weekend Pass - $75.00 - Includes everything (except the dinner theatre) all weekend!
  
• Evening Show - $35.00 - Includes regular evening performance and daytime admission!
  
• Fri, Sat, or Sun Dinner Theatre - $30.00 upgrade - with a weekend pass - Includes dinner!
  
• Fri or Sat Dinner Theatre Only - $60.00 - Includes one evening performance and dinner!
  
• Day Pass (Fri or Sat) - $20.00 - Includes daytime entertainment, trade show, & seminars!
  
• Day Pass (Sunday) - $15.00 - Includes daytime entertainment, and trade show!

Good News For Albertans!!

Alberta Bus Tour to the 2015 Kamloops Cowboy Festival

Enjoy the Kamloops Cowboy Festival without worrying about mountain travel. Frontier Bus Lines is announcing their first tour to the Cowboy Festival - departure March 11th, 2015 from Central Alberta. Doris Daley and Carol Heuchan will be keeping everyone entertained which will make the trip go by so quickly. The tour will include deluxe motor coach transportation with an experienced tour guide, 5 nights at the coast hotel (host hotel for festival), daily breakfast & four suppers, winery tour and tasting, Thursday kick off dinner and dance, a weekend pass to Cowboy Festival and all three dinner theater shows. Please check our website for details at www.frontierbuslines.com or contact us at our toll free line 1-888-LET-S-BUS (538-7287).

Tickets will be available after November 1st at:
The Horse Barn on Mount Paul Way, BC's biggest and best western wear store.
Or through us by phoning: 1-888-763-2221 (please don't call the Horse Barn).

Coast Kamloops Hotel, our Official Host Hotel, has complete packages available.
See the Accommodation Section for details.

The BC Cowboy Heritage Society, Box 137, Kamloops, BC, V2C 5K3.
1-888-763-2221 or Email: cowboys@bcchs.com

There are discounts off normal rates at many of the local motels if you remember to tell them that you are going to attend the Cowboy Festival. Please support our sponsor motels - book at one that is on our list - see the Accommodation List!

Back to Index

2015 Performers Line-up:

Here's the entertainer line up for 2015. Biographies and photos
for the following are available on the Entertainers Bios and Photos.

• Abe Zacharias
• Alan Moberg
• Alberta's Lone Prairie
• Barry Ward
• Ben Crane
• Bj Smith
• Bryn Thiessen
• Bud Webb
• Carol Heuchan
• Charlie Ewing

• Chelsea Cunningham
• Dave McClure
• Diamond Doug Keith
• Doris Daley
• Frank Gleeson
• Gary Allegretto
• Gordie West
• Hugh McLennan
• Jayden Stafford
• Jeremy Willis

• Jess Lee
• Jinny (Lowe) Cash
• Lain Roth
• Loose Rooster
• Mag Mawhinney
• Mike Dygert
• Mill Girl Follies
• Susie Knight
• Trinity Seely
• Wesley Hardisty

The Spirit of the West Rising Star Showcase

The "The Spirit of the West Rising Star Showcase" has been a great success with an incredible amount of talent taking part - so much talent that we have picked the winner of last year to perform on main stage!

The contests will once again be split into two groups.
There will be a section for poets and a section for musicians.

These Rising Stars will be performing throughout the weekend
and the six finalists will be showcased on main stage Sunday afternoon.

If you are interested in being part of the "The Spirit of the West Rising Star Showcase"
please see the Rising Star Showcase page, which includes an application from.

Back to Index

The 2015 Evening Only Performance Schedule!

This is tentative ... all schedules are subject to change

March 13th - Calvary Church
Friday Evening - 7:00 PM!

(MC) Hugh McLennan
Gary Allegretto
Frank Gleeson
Trinity Seely
Intermission
Hall of Fame Inductions
Chelsea Cunningham
Diamond Doug
Ben Crane

March 14th - Calvary Church
Saturday Evening - 7:00 PM!

(MC) Dave McClure
Alan Moberg
Susie Knight
Wesley Hardisty
Intermission
BCCHS Scholarship Awards
Joe Marten Award
Charlie Ewing
Bryn Thiessen
Barry Ward

March 13th - Dinner Theatre
Kamloops Convention Centre
Friday Evening

5:30 Happy Hour - 6:30 Dinner!
Gordie West & Jinny Cash
After Dinner Show
Mill Girl Follies
(MC) Dave McClure
Mag Mawhinney
Barry Ward
Doris Daley
Wesley Hardisty
Intermission
Alan Moberg
Carol Heuchan
Loose Rooster

March 14th - Dinner Theatre
Kamloops Convention Centre
Saturday Evening

5:30 Happy Hour - 6:30 Dinner!
Gordie West Band & Jinny Cash
After Dinner Show
Mill Girl Follies
(MC) Hugh McLennan
Jeremy Willis
Bj Smith
Gary Allegretto
Intermission
Trinity Seely
Jayden Stafford
Alberta's Lone Prairie

The Sunday evening dinner theatre show at the Kamloops Hotel and Convention Centre will be for weekend pass holders only ... here's the schedule.

The 2015 Performance Schedules!
All schedules are subject to change!!

The evening schedules only (not daytime) are above. If you want the complete schedules pick one of the following PDFs to download it. They include daytime performances and evening performances in both venues, as well as the workshop schedule for that day. There is a separate schedule for each day.

There is also a list of entertainers with their scheduled sets beside their name if you're hunting a particular show - this includes all performers, both venues, and all three days.
Schedule updated January 11th

Friday Schedule PDF
Saturday Schedule PDF

Sunday Schedule PDF
Schedule list by Entertainer PDF

Back to Index

Workshops and Seminars for the 2015 Festival

Here is the tentative list of workshops that will be at the Festival:
Workshops and Seminars
Please note all workshops and Seminars will be held upstairs in the Calvary Church
and there will be no workshops on Sunday.

Friday
1:00 Workshop room #2 - TBA
2:00 Workshop room #1 - Doris Daley - The Page and the Stage
3:00 Workshop room #2 - Daniel Gordon - Cowboy Boot History & Construction
4:00 Workshop room #1 - Ken Mather - Let's Talk Ranching History & Cowboys

Saturday
11:00 Workshop room #2 - Andy Knight - Let's Talk Saddles
12:00 Workshop room #1 - Carol Heuchan - Bush Poetry / Cowboy Poetry
1:00 Workshop room #2 - Gary Allegretto - Learn to Play Cowboy Harmonica Instantly
2:00 Workshop room #1 - Cowboy's Choice - Cowboy hat history & custom hat building
3:00 Workshop room #2 - Susie Knight - Cowboy Poetry (by the 2014 WMA top female poet)
4:00 Workshop room #1 - Chelsea Cunningham - Writin, Wropin, & Wridin' - Put a tune to life.

Back to Index

The Art of the West Show and Sale!

Click here to go to the Art Show Page!

The BC Cowboy Heritage Society is pleased to present the Art of the West Show and Sale at the Kamloops Cowboy Festival. The goal of this event is to showcase the art of the West in all its forms and all its locales, and in doing so, become one of the premier Western art shows in Canada. This year, the show will feature flat work in all mediums, photography, and sculpture.

People's Choice Award

Watch for the People's Choice Award ballots at the Festival. A People's choice award will be awarded to the piece of art work that receives the most votes from the viewers attending the show. The volunteers taking care of the show will be asked to encourage each visitor to vote once for their favourite. Artwork, Photography, and Sculpture entries are all eligible for the award. The voting will end at 5 pm on Saturday.

Back to Index

The Western Art and Gear Show!

Click here to go to the 2015 Trade Show Page!

As well as all the above entertainment we also have a Western Art and Gear Show that will run all weekend long! The exhibitors in this show are some of the finest cowboy craftsmen and artists in North America! There will be a variety of booths selling and taking orders for saddles and leather work, western clothing, cowboy hats, books, jewelry, lots of art, bronzes, and some educational booths!

Here is a list of the exhibitors that will be at the 2015 Festival

For photos and write-ups on some of the exhibitors see The Trade Show Page!

Back to Index

Where Are We?

The Kamloops Cowboy Festival is held in two great venues - across the road from each other. Kamloops Conference Centre (formerly Forsters) and the Calvary Community Church! We'll be running a shuttle service between venues.

Kamloops Conference Centre is located at 1250 Rogers Way and the Calvary Community Church is at 1205 Rogers Way - just off of Highway #1 in Kamloops, BC, Canada. Kamloops is one of the few places that you can not only take in a super Cowboy Festival, but you can also bring your snow skis and your golf clubs and enjoy a week long holiday in March! Remember to tell your motel that you are attending the Cowboy Festival, as they are offering discount rates! For more information phone 1-888-763-2224 (in Canada), outside Canada phone: (250)579-5667, or Email: cowboys@bcchs.com

Click here for a Map!

Back to Index

Accommodation

Just say that you're going to the Cowboy Festival and the following sponsors will give you a special "Festival Rate!" Don't forget to tell them, though. If you do need accommodation please stay at one of the following as they do sponsor the Festival.

The prices quoted below are as accurate as possible but if the motels have not supplied us with current information then these prices may not be correct .... please let us know if the prices here are not the same as what the motel quotes you. Also motels may block a number of rooms at the following prices and when they are gone, they will go back to their normal price. We have no control of this.

Please note: Some hotels that were sponsors in the past are no longer sponsoring us and have therefore been removed from this list - we'd appreciate you supporting our sponsors, thank you!

Our Official Host Hotel

Coast Kamloops Hotel and Conference Centre

1250 Rogers Way (Festival Headquarters)
Phone 1-800-665-6674 or 250-828-6660
Email: ckhinfo@coasthotels.com
www.coastkamloopshotel.com

March 2015
single $119 or $129 double (plus tax) for standard accommodation with 2 queen beds.
Please quote: Cowboy Festival

Download weekend package rates

2015 Special package prices at the headquarters hotel all prices based on double occupancy!

The following are the Early Bird Special Prices and are only good until January 22nd.
(see the weekend package rates card for prices after January 22nd.)

Cowboy Festival 3 Night Package based on Thursday night arrival: ($260 per person plus tax based on double occupancy) - Includes the three nights in a standard room, two full Festival weekend passes and 2 tickets to either Friday or Saturday Dinner Theatre Show (reserved seating - please let us know if you want to sit with anyone). This also includes the Thursday Night Get-Acquainted Party!

Cowboy Festival 3 Night Package based on Friday night arrival: ($284 per person plus tax based on double occupancy) - Includes the three nights in a standard room, two full Festival weekend passes and 2 tickets to either Friday or Saturday Dinner Theatre Show (reserved seating - please let us know if you want to sit with anyone). This also includes the Sunday night Dinner Show!

4 Night Package ($340 per person plus tax based on double occupancy) - Includes the four nights in a standard room, two full Festival weekend passes, 2 tickets to either Friday or Saturday Dinner Theatre Show (reserved seating), and 2 tickets to the Sunday Night Dinner Theatre Show. This also includes the Thursday Night Get-Acquainted Party.

Download weekend package rates

Upgrades are available at additional upgrade fees. Please call for more information.

You never have to leave the building!