5th Annual White Mountains Roundup
Waddie Mitchell
by Jo Baeza
In a recent interview on Show Low’s City4 TV Connect show, Wendy Kochheiser asked Steve Taylor, Chris Isaacs and me, “Why should people attend the White Mountains Roundup of Cowboy Poetry, Music & Art?” It didn’t take me long to answer, “Because it is one of the best cowboy poetry and art events in the country.” There are only two other major cowboy poetry events in Arizona, in Prescott and Sierra Vista. Aside from that, you’d have to travel out of state to find cowboy entertainers and artists of this caliber.
All across America many local events, most in small communities, celebrate the National Day of the American Cowboy on the third Saturday in July. “The Outfit,” as we call ourselves, has attempted to produce an event starring national entertainers that reflects our own special place – Arizona’s White Mountains.
This year’s three-day event takes place at Blue Ridge High School July 23, 24 & 25. Chris Isaacs of Eagar produces the shows. The Outfit would be hard pressed to do it without him. Chris is a nationally known cowboy poet who performs throughout the United States. If it weren’t for his personal friendship with other poets, it would have been difficult to get them scheduled here in the White Mountains. This year Chris has persuaded two performers who took top honors at the Western Music Association Awards in 2009 to entertain us: Waddie Mitchell, Male Poet of the Year; and Dave Stamey, Entertainer of the Year. The show also stars Dakota Livesay, MC and historian/storyteller, and the Mountain Saddle Band.
There will be two shows on Saturday, July 24. The matinee runs from 2-4, and the evening show 7-9. The box office will be open an hour before show time. Tickets the day of the show are $15 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under. Advance tickets are available at the Pinetop-Lakeside and Show Low chambers of commerce, both libraries, and online at www.whitemountainsroundup.com.
Chris Isaacs.
Steve Taylor’s Western Art Invitational, at Blue Ridge High School Gym adjacent to the auditorium, draws talent from the some of the best artists in the Southwest. Steve is expecting about 20 artists to display their work this year. The art show starts at noon on Friday and runs through Sunday. Even if you are not ready to buy art at this time, it is worth the effort to browse through the show and visit with the artists. Fine art is available in every price range, from originals to limited edition prints.
Along with the art show is the Authors’ Book Sale and Signing. Ten or more local authors will be signing their books from 4-6 p.m. July 24. Some of them plan to stay all day, so come in early and chat with the authors and look over their books. This is your opportunity to enhance their value by having them signed. The featured author is Catherine Ellis, who has written several Arcadia books on Arizona towns. Other authors expected are: Kenneth Jackson, Jo Baeza, JoAnn Hatch, Gene Luptak, Jim Olson, Gary Holdcroft, Laurie Acree, Miles Gilbert and John McDonald.
Sunday morning the Mountain Saddle Band will hold Cowboy Chapel starting at 10 a.m. at Mountain Meadows, the Pinetop-Lakeside Festival Site on Woodland Road. Many people in the White Mountains are already familiar with Steve Harrington’s Mountain Saddle Band that started as Old West Chapel in Show Low and continues to hold nondenominational services in local churches. Steve is constantly researching old cowboy songs and hymns that hearken back to a simpler time when cowboys and ranchers held camp meetings and worship services in God’s Great Outdoors. The band is composed of Steve Harrington, Rusty Weiss and Steve Taylor.
The Outfit put the first show together in 2006 with help from local municipalities, businesses and individuals. This year, our main donors are the Town of Pinetop-Lakeside, Northland Pioneer College, Show Low City4 TV, White Mountain Publishing, Bison Town, WME Theatres, Jack Barker, Arizona Sign & Graphics, Larry Vicario and White Mountains Online Computers.
The White Mountains Roundup, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation. Membership involves hundreds of hours of volunteer time, miles driven, phone calls made, letters written, posters put up, press releases and ads composed, and meetings endured. None of us has made a dime in the production of the event. Our pay has been the community response and the fun of working together on a creative project.
The Roundup has not only survived, but grown to a major three-day poetry, music and art event. As most of you know, we have a lot of talent right here on the Mountain. The Outfit showcases local entertainers at two additional annual events in Pinetop-Lakeside that are fundraisers for our July Roundup.
We produced our first Cowboy Christmas last November featuring Mountain Saddle Band and Juni Fisher. It was a big success in spite of the economic recession, or maybe because of it. People seem to need music and laughter almost as much as food and shelter.
In April we held our first Spring Gathering that brought local people out of hibernation. Performers included Davylynn Dennison, Penny Menze, Dakota Livesay, Chris Isaacs and the Mountain Saddle Band. Every year, in the Spirit of the Mountain, we donate 10 percent of the proceeds to a local charity. Cowboy Christmas helped the Love Kitchen. Spring Gathering paid for CARE packages sent to a military field hospital in Iraq. This summer our donation will go to Living Hope Women’s Center and Maternity Home. Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have celebrated the National Day of the American Cowboy with us, and all those who have donated time and money to our productions.
We invite you to come back in July and RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY!
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