Cowboy Poetry and Music

What is Cowboy Poetry?
Founders of the Cowpoke Fall Gathering in Loomis, California
What is the South Placer Heritage Foundation?
What is the Blue Goose Fruit Shed Renovation Project?
The 14th Annual Cowpoke Fall Gathering

What is Cowboy Poetry?
The "roots" of Cowboy Poetry go back to the ranches and cattle drives of the 1800's. Poetry and folk songs seem to be the very first form of literature to come from the west. Cowboy Poetry has been described as the perfect language, which reflects the lights, smells and sounds of wide open spaces...our window to the past when solitude and loneliness were often a cowboy's only companions...other than his horse. It is, in fact, a language all its own. The perfect means of expression for a cowboy to use, when articulating their joys and sorrows, humor and heartbreak. For many cowboys, sharing tall tales and weaving verse and rhyme was their only source of entertainment while sitting around a campfire after a hard days ride.

One of the most inspiring things about cowboy poetry is the ever-present element of truth and love for the land and the livestock. While some poems are hilarious, some poems will bring a tear to your eye, warm your heart and make the hairs on you neck come alive.

There is a common thread that runs through all Cowboy Poetry Gatherings and that is the burning desire to hang on to and cherish the values which made America great. It is a mirror of the Western way of living, an honest, no-frills lifestyle with few secrets. In the Old West, your neighbors may be few and you may not visit often, but they're always there in a heartbeat when help is needed. It was a place where men and women were measured by their integrity, hard work and how they treated others. They lived and loved by a code... "the Code of the West."
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Founders of the Cowpoke Fall Gathering in Loomis, California
Bert and Carol Braun, who owned and operated the Cowpoke, a local feed store in Loomis, attended a Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. They enjoyed the event so much, and what it stood for, that they decided to introduce Loomis to the popularity of this very unique form of art, to entertain and help bridge the communication gap between urban and rural society. As a result, the first Cowpoke Fall Gathering was held in November 1995, at the Red Brick Art Center, with an attendance of 150 over two day period.

Since then, Bert and Carol, with the help of friends, continued to entertain many people from all areas of California and beyond. Over the years the venue has changed as attendance increased, but the spirit of the West remains. Every year the Cowpoke has donated a portion of the proceeds to a charitable cause starting in 1995 with the Saddle Pals, a therapeutic riding group. In 2004, on the 10 th anniversary of the Fall Gathering, the show moved to the Blue Goose Fruit Shed, with a seating capacity of 400, and Cowpoke Productions donated 100% of the proceeds to the South Placer Heritage Foundations in exchange for the tremendous help they received from a dedicated group of volunteers. The Braun's still produce the event but with the help of the South Placer Heritage Foundation volunteers, many events have been added to make a full weekend of activities. As always, no one gets paid and all the proceeds go to the continued restoration of the Blue Goose Fruit Shed.
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What is the South Placer Heritage Foundation?
In 1995 a group of local citizens realized the value of not only preservign the past, but offering opportunities to bring the community together to celebrate our future. As a result, The Loomis Basin Heritage Group was extablished to save three unique architectural structures when they acquired the Blue Anchor and Blue Goose Fruit Sheds along with the Loomis train depot.

In 1998, the group was renamed the Loomis Basin Heritage Foundation. As membership grew and the initial phases of managing the structures were completed, the Foundation realized that the vision of preserving the past to create a vital future was shared by many people living throughout South Placer County. On January 1, 2002, the organization became the South Placer Heritage Foundation. At that time, the scope of the organization was broadened to include the South Placer region for future acquisitions.

The Foundation is an all volunteer effort lead by a 12 person Board of Directors. As a 503c(3) non profit organization, all monies are used to maintain and improve buildings of historical significance.
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What is the Blue Goose Fruit Shed Renovation Project?
In the 1940's the California Fruit Exchange built a fruit packing shed in Loomis, known as the Blue Goose. Within this 26,000 square foot building, peaches, plums and pears were brought in all summer from local farmers. The fruit was sorted, packed and shipped nationwide. As the years went by, the marketing of fruits took a turn to a much larger and more commercial scale. The doors at the Blue Goose Fruit Shed were closed by the Loomis Fruit Growers on February 7, 2002.

The plans were already in place for the renovation of the Blue Goose with the keys already handed over to the Loomis Basin Heritage Group in 1995. During the summer of 2002, exterior changes were made to improve accessibility, rebuild the dock area and upgrade rain gutters and drain pipes. In 2003, a fire sprinkler system was installed throughout the 26,000 sq. ft. icon.

The summer of 2004 was a flurry of activity as a small army of volunteer elecrticians, painters, sheetrock installers, plumbers, general contractors and electricians made major changes to 10,000 sq. ft. of the north end of the building. With the help of architects Williams and Paddon, Pulte Homes and and Homewood Lumber and with the backing of Placer Sierra Bank and the United Auburn Indian Fund years of planning and dreaming became a reality.

Over 100 businesses and community members in Loomis and South Placer County took part in all aspects of the renovation from framing and electrical to dry walling and lighting. Donations of in kind materials, labor and volunteer efforts valued at over $300,000 help complete this phase of the renovation. Volunteers were still sweeping, painting and putting the finishing touches just minutes before the doors opened on the eve of the 10th Annual Cowpoke Fall Gathering, and new life was breathed back into the Blue Goose.
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The 14th Annual Cowpoke Fall Gathering

This year we will be featuring Yvonne Hollenbeck. She will appear at all three shows. Yvonne is a rising star in the world of cowboy poetry. She performs
throughout the upper Midwest, captivating audiences in her wake. She is fast becoming one of the most published cowgirl poets in the West.

Other local and regional favorites will fill out the bill for porformances on Friday evening, Saturday matinee and evening. Our popular barbeque will serve meals on Saturday between the two performances. For a close up experience, the Poets & Musicians Reception on Friday night guarantees that you will have an opportunity to meet the performers in a special setting at the Blue Goose Fruit Shed. Rounding out the Western experience, stagecoach rides will be available to all on Saturday afternoon.
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