For our family the coming of Fall means one thing…time to don your spurs and chaps and mosey on up to Williamsburg, Ohio for the Old West Festival. We have gone to the OWF for the past two years, and we wouldn’t miss it again for the world! This is the 6th year the festival has run, and each year I see many of the same great vendors and events/activities, but then each year I notice that they are adding NEW things as well.
There is so much to see & do in this authentic old west town, you could easily spend an entire day wandering around or even go more than once in the season! Stepping through the gates you are no longer on the outskirts of Cincinnati in the year 2013, but instead you step right back in time to the wild wild west of 1878 in Dodge City.
Here’s what we like to do in Dodge City ::
First we stop by to see the sheriff to get deputized (yes, my youngest is wearing a Yoda hat in these pictures….)
We also like to spend some time watching the horseback shows. Fascinating!
And of course we love the root beer!
And it’s just not a visit to the Old West Festival if we don’t get to see a gun fight in the street! Yes, there’s a few dead bodies in this picture.
And for the older generation, they sure do serve been in cups shaped like boots.
The kids also love the horse back rides.
And there’s plenty of music and entertainment going on throughout the entire festival to keep the whole family entertained. While I prefer the music, my boys love the can-can girls 😉
Here’s all the details about the Old West Festival ::
The Old West Festival will also be abuzz with period music. Attendees can enjoy the sounds of the 1800’s with music from Gunpowder Creek, Bob Ford and The Ragamuffins, as well as Raison d’Etre, a trio mixing traditional folk songs with a capella swing tunes and Shaker hymns.
Other performers will be about town as well. Magician Jason Jacobs will amaze, bewilder and astonish with his magical flare and the Pickle Brothers will shock with their mind-boggling performances. Visitors to the Long Branch Saloon will enjoy shows by world champion roper Rider Keisner, and folks’ll no doubt get a “kick” out of Miss Melody Star and her Hurdy Gurdy Dancing Girls.
And what would the old west be without a good ole’ fashioned gunfight? Back by popular demand, four times daily starting at high noon, the Big Irons Rangers return with their gunfight re-enactments and trick shooting. In between shows they, and other period interpreters, will be walking the grounds to meet visitors and pose for photos.
The Old West Festival is a grand time for the young’ins, too. At 10:15 a.m. daily, the kiddies can get sworn in as town deputies. They can also enjoy old-timey puppet and magic shows, storytelling and sing-a-longs. The youngsters can also participate in historic games, pan for gold, take a ride on the Double A Express train, take a pony ride, and even cross the frontier in a covered wagon.
Theme weekends add to the experience of the Old West Festival and include Cowboy Hero Weekend Sept. 7-8; Native American Weekend Sept. 14-15; Steam Punk Weekend Sept. 21-22; Villains Weekend Sept. 28-29 and America’s Pastime Weekend October 5-6.
Tickets to the Old West Festival can be purchased for $12, $6 for children ages 6-12, children 5 and under admitted for free. Parking is free and the festival will be held, rain or shine. Tickets are available in advance at www.oldwestfestival.com. Discount tickets are available by visiting the Eastgate location of Jungle Jims.
The Old West Festival runs Saturdays and Sundays, September 7 to October 6 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and is located at 1449 Greenbush Cobb Rd between Mt. Orab and Williamsburg, Ohio just off St. Rt. 32. For more information, visit www.oldwestfestival.com.
OLD WEST FESTIVAL TICKET GIVEAWAY ::
This giveaway is now CLOSED. Congrats to Jennifer Collins, you won the family four pack of tickets! You have 24 hours to contact me at Katie(at)Cards-by-Katie(dot)com to claim your prize or another winner will be drawn!
I’m excited to announce that I have a Family Four Pack of tickets to give away to one lucky reader!!! The contest is easy, and you have FIVE chances to win!!!
The winner will be chosen on Tuesday, August 27th at 2pm using Random.org. The winner will be announced here on the blog, and on the little things blog Facebook page. If you leave your email address I will ATTEMPT to contact you! If the winner does not respond within 24 hours another winner will be chosen.
How to Enter:
1. For your first entry, leave a comment telling me why your family wants to win these tickets.
3. Share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook, and be sure to tag “
the little things blog” and “Old West Festival” in your post! Leave a comment telling me you shared.
4. Tweet about the giveaway! Make sure you add @LittleThingsMom & @oldwestfestival in your tweet! And then comment below telling me you did so.
5. Follow along…sign up for Email Newsletters for this blog (upper right hand corner of this blog) and then leave a comment telling me you did so. Or if you follow along another way then tell me that.
Best of Luck!!! See you in the old west!
Disclaimer – My family received tickets to go to the Old West Festival along with the tickets I was given for the giveaway. Thanks to our friends at OWF!
The winner will be chosen on Tuesday, August 27th at 2pm using Random.org. The winner will be announced here on the blog, and on the little things blog Facebook page. If you leave your email address I will ATTEMPT to contact you! If the winner does not respond within 24 hours another winner will be chosen.
