I have lived in Red River many years but had only been to Cowboy Evening once before about 10 years prior. My fiancé and our new next-door neighbors from Kansas had never been, so I booked us tickets for their opening night on June 21. I have to rave about what a wonderful experience it was. From the food, to the entertainment, to the entire atmosphere, you will want to make it an annual trip for you and your family.
Let’s talk about the food. The ribeye steak I had was cooked to perfection by Michael Smith. Michael has worked at Bobcat pass for as long as I can remember and does an incredible job. Michael is also a very talented local musician who plays occasionally with Syd Masters.
For the side dishes they offer, made from scratch Dutch Oven bread that melts in your mouth, beans, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob. Make sure to save room for Mrs. Lewis’s, made from scratch cinnamon rolls for dessert. Those are easily the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had in my life.
Syd Masters is the in-house musician who plays most (if not all) of the shows during the summer. Syd was joined by Gary Roller, another incredibly talented local musician out of Taos, who plays with Michael Martin Murphey. Syd’s melodic songs (some of which he wrote himself) and voice created an air of ambiance that will take you back to the days of cowboys gathering around a campfire. Syd keeps the crowd engaged with stories, trivia, and birthday/anniversary shout outs. Tonya and Vance Lewis’s son Hank also did a few tricks on his mare Lily to the delight of the crowd.
Bobcat Pass Wilderness Adventures is located on the top of Bobcat Pass at about 10,000 ft in elevation. Bobcat Pass also offer horseback rides and UTV tours. The barn where they hold the dinner & concert is covered and has stoves in the middle to keep guests warm during the cool mountain evenings. I do recommend bringing a jacket though as it was in the mid 50’s when we went. Children can watch and admire their trail horses and they have roping dummies for the kids to play with. One tiny cowboy even brought his stick horse to ride around the grounds on.
The Lewis family has done a marvelous job at creating a truly unforgettable experience for the past 31 years. I hope you and your family will get a chance to come join them this summer. I’m so glad we did!
-Megan Gallagher
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