Join the country's rootin-est, tootin-est real-life cowboys for the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival, featuring five days of the best in cowboy music, poetry, entertainment and grub at the historic Melody Ranch in Santa Clarita: Built to film Westerns during the Golden Age of Hollywood, it's an authentic frontier town, complete with hoosegow. Pan for gold and try your hand at leatherworking at the Pioneer Living exhibit; chow down at the authentic chuckwagon; witness living history performances on Main Street; and enjoy the best Western entertainment at the California Music Stage, including the sagebrush harmonies of the Sons of the San Joaquin, as well as Native American performances by the Eagle Spirit Dancers at the Heritage Stage. Visit the Melody Ranch Museum and Cowboy Church. Although no major Civil War battles were fought in the Golden State, California had more Union volunteers per capita than any other state, and it was shipments of our gold that helped keep the Union solvent. To that end, enjoy the music of the Civil War as performed by the Band of the California Battalion. (Additional tickets required for the film history bus tour, BobBoze's Wyatt Earp lecture, the “Cowboy Couture” fashion show, Californio Fiesta de Rancho Camulos and other events.)

April 30-May 1, 2011

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