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Wink Barnette of Ocala, Fla., from left, Wayne McDonald of The Villages, Fla., and Tommy Ball of Ocala, Fla., put on name tags at the Saddle Up! celebration of cowboy life in Pigeon Forge.
"There probably hasn't been a man or boy alive who hasn't dreamed of being a cowboy at some time."
R.W. Hampton
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There's no telling who will wander in off the open-range this weekend in Pigeon Forge for Saddle Up!, a toe-tappin' celebration of Western entertainment and the cowboy lifestyle that continues through Sunday.
Western singers and dancers, cowboy poets and chuck wagon cooks have already circled their wagons for the festival, which is part of Pigeon Forge's Winterfest activities, to be held at various locations including the Pigeon Forge Convention Center.
You can even meet and greet TV cowboys of yesterday at the event, which marks its 10th anniversary.
James Drury and other cast members of "The Virginian," the hit TV Western that ran from 1962-71, will be on hand for autographs and a question-and-answer session from 6-9 p.m. Saturday. Just-released DVDs of the show will also be available.
"The Virginian," the first 90-minute TV Western, told the story of the fictional Shiloh Ranch in the Wyoming Territory in the 1890s.
The 75-year-old Drury said it will be an opportunity to talk with fans about a time when Westerns dominated the TV lineup.
"At that time we had 15 or 16 hours of Western programming running every week," said Drury.
"TV certainly overexposes everything and I think that's why Westerns went out of favor. I would go home from shooting the show, watch "High Chaparral" and see the same story."
In addition to TV cowboys, this weekend's festival will also include performances by singing cowboys like R.W. Hampton.
Hampton, who has released 12 albums in the last 20 years and lives the life he sings about with his wife and children on his Clearview Ranch in New Mexico, said Western music takes people back to a simpler time.
"There probably hasn't been a man or boy alive who hasn't dreamed of being a cowboy at some time," said Hampton.
"While life is not physically tougher than it used to be, it's emotionally and mentally tougher. The thought of a man on a horse riding out on a landscape is really soothing to people these days."
Hampton will be one of the featured performers at 7 tonight at the Grand Majestic Theater.
"I'm just one man with his guitar and the country music of the West. It's kind of like taking it back to the campfire."
Mike Blackerby is a freelance contributor to the News Sentinel.
© 2010, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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