The 28th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is Jan. 30-Feb. 4 in Elko.

The event is as much about the music of the West as it is about its poetry. This year’s event includes musical icons including Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Ian Tyson, Michael Martin Murphey, Mike Beck and the Bohemian Saints, Martha Scanlan, Stephanie Davis, Wylie & The Wild West, Canada’s Tim Hus and the Rocky Mountain Two, Austin’s Hot Club of Cowtown and many more.

Every winter for the last 27 years, rural and urban people have joined with cowboys and ranchers in the small high desert community of Elko to listen to poetry and music, learn about cowboy culture in the U.S. and around the world, experience art, watch Western films, learn a craft, play music, gather to eat, drink, swap stories and dance the night away.

Open-mic sessions, music jams, dances and dance lessons offer opportunities for everyone to participate. The 28th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering will feature nearly 50 poets, musicians and musical groups from the U.S., Canada and Australia performing on seven stages at four venues.

Programs this year will focus on the Southwestern United States, specifically Arizona and New Mexico — which are celebrating their centennials in 2012.

Tickets to the 28th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering can be purchased online or call (775) 738.7508.