From the exhibit Ranching in Grant County: “Cowgirl in Parade, 1940.” The rodeo used to be held on July 4th. Many rodeo contestants also participated in the paradeOn June 15 from 12pm-3pm, the Silver City Museum is celebrating Rodeo weekend with special activities around its year-long exhibit, Ranching in Grant County, which includes some local rodeo history. Guests will be treated to live cowboy poetry, guided tours of the exhibit, dummy-roping in the courtyard, jerky sampling in the kitchen, discounts and giveaways for rodeo ticket-holders, and a free raffle of gorgeous Western jewelry.
The centerpiece of the Museum’s programming is the exhibit Ranching in Grant County. Curator Joe Bryce spent months putting together archival photos, oral histories, facts and statistics, and many ranching and ranch-life artifacts from saddles to goat hair, from branding irons to ice cream brands from local dairies. The history and practice of rodeo in Grant County is covered (along with the lesser-known local sport of Cowboy Polo). Ranching in Grant County also includes binders with family histories of many ranching families who contributed to this exhibit.
Poetry about life out on the range has also been a popular tradition of the American West, including right here in Grant County -- and in the Museum itself! Back when the current-day Silver City Museum was the Silver City Fire Department, a part-time volunteer and full-time cowhand named Dick Hayes used to spend nights at the station composing verses.
Renowned local Cowboy Poets Stuart Hooker and Linda Locklar will be performing their work live at Rodeo Day. Hooker is a miner by trade and a published cowboy poet by avocation. He lives in Cliff and has published A Cowboy Spirit, a book of poetry available at the Museum Store. Locklar is a semi-retired veterinarian whose cowboy poetry book will also be available at Rodeo Day.
Meanwhile Don Turner will be teaching kids and (kids at heart) how to use a lasso to rope straw-bale dummies. Turner is the honorable Sheriff of the local chapter of Westerners, a group of Western history enthusiasts that meets once a month at Cross Point Church. More information can be found at westerners-international.org/corrals.
The Jerky Store will be promoting their newly opened location in Silver City with generous samples of their many, many flavors of beef jerky available for tasting or purchase in the kitchen. The Copper Cowbelles, a group of lady ranchers who have worked closely and generously with the Museum around this exhibit, will provide refreshments as well.
All Museum guests on June 15 will be able to sign up for a free raffle of Western jewelry, including a multi-strand necklace with turquoise and coral beads and a silver cow-skull pendant, a braided horse-hair bracelet, and a pair of conchita cow-skull earrings.
Rodeo-goers can enjoy extra benefits with their ticket or ticket stub, which will get them 10% off the Museum Store along with a free horsehair zipper-pull/keychain (while supplies last).
The Silver City Museum creates opportunities for residents and visitors to explore, understand, and celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of southwestern New Mexico by collecting, preserving, researching, and interpreting the region's unique history. Admission is free; a suggested donation of $5helps support the museum’s education programs, collections care and exhibitions. For more information, please contact the museum at (575) 589-5921 info@silvercitymuseum.org , or visit the museum's website: www.silvercitymuseum.org