Liz Masterson, a Denver native, has been involved in organizing the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Arvada since it began in 1990. The singer and yodeler also gives classroom lessons about cowboy poetry and music, and said the efforts to keep the Western traditions alive through today's youth seem to be paying off.

"I think it's working real well. I just did (a lesson) out in Nebraska where I spent a week in the schools to talk about singing and yodeling," Masterson said. "I think kids are really receptive to that. I think it's a real important mission."

The Cowboy Poetry Gathering, which will take place Jan. 10 through 13 at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., is another means of educating people on cowboy culture, Masterson said. For people who have grown up on a ranch, she said this is their chance to celebrate their roots. And for people who aren't from a rural background, the gathering is "an insight into a culture they've admired from afar."

Audience members will get a close-up view at the gathering, Masterson said, as there isn't much of a barrier between performers and the crowd.

"One of the things I really like about the Arvada Center is it's really intimate," Masterson said. "It's all under one roof. Poets and audience can sit together, and there's a lot of co-mingling."

Pop Wagner, a singer, picker and lasso twirler from Minnesota, has performed at the gathering for more than a decade and is preparing to once again bring his music to Arvada. Aside from performing, Wagner said he will be visiting local schools and giving kids a taste of music and history from way out West.

"We present a variety of music, poetry and storytelling, and talk about when people used to have to provide their own entertainment before television and iPods and all that crazy stuff we have today. It's pretty convincing and the kids like it," he said over the phone as he walked his dog in Minnesota.

Wagner will be giving about a dozen shows in schools from Golden, Denver, Arvada and other cities with two Australian poets, Milton Taylor and Jennifer Haig, while he's in town.

After having conversations with Cowboy Poetry Gathering participants, Arvada Center Executive Director Gene Sobczak said he understands why they can't wait to get started with the event.

"I do know that from talking with event organizers and having spoken with poets on this gathering in particular, especially since it's always been during the period of the National Western (stock show), this is in many ways a spiritual kickoff for these folks - starting off the calendar year in this way," Sobczak said.

Although Sobczak hasn't been on the job long enough to have played a hand in hosting the gathering, he said he has been a guest at the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in the past and came away with a good impression.

"It's fabulous. In some ways, it's the original American poetry slam," Sobczak said.

Making this year's gathering even more special is the fact that it is being dedicated to the late Buck Ramsey, whom Masterson said is considered the "spiritual leader of the cowboy poetry renaissance and a true literary genius and American treasure."

According to Masterson, Ramsey's widow, Bette, will be in attendance at the gathering to give four sessions of a slideshow showcasing stories of her husband's life and poetry.

Putting the gathering together year after year takes plenty of time and effort, but Masterson said offering everyone involved the chance to be part of a once-in-a-lifetime moment makes it all worth it.

"There have been some magical moments with performers, and the audience has kind of just been crying. You ask what happened and you really can't explain it; people just say you had to be there," she said.

Event details

Evening sessions take place at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10 through 12 and cost $28 each. Matinee concerts are at 1 p.m. Jan. 12 and 13 and cost $28 each. Two open mic sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Jan. 11 and 12, and they will cost $14 each at the door.

You can save money by combining a matinee session and evening session for $35. Tickets are available at www.arvadacenter.org or by calling the box office at 720-898-7200.

Performers vary for each show. A full list of acts can be found by going to www.arvadacenter.org.