SHOSHONE, Idaho β For 15 years, the third weekend in September has brought cowboys, poets, musicians, and their fans to the small town of Shoshone for the Lost N Lava Cowboy Gathering.
"For this small town in South Central Idaho, sitting here all by itself, to host this event with some of the finest cowboy poetry in music you'll hear anywhere," said John Adkins, who has been bringing his art to Lost N Lava for seven years alongside Maria Donnelly.
Have a look at the first day of Lost N Lava 2025!
"It's just delightful that they do it, and it's wonderful that the town keeps it going, and we certainly hope that it keeps going as well," Adkins said.
Lost N Lava is one of a handful of gatherings dedicated to sharing cowboy poetry and music. For Vice President Bryan Dillworth, it's a passion that sparked long ago.
"Doesn't pay very good, a career choice of being a cowboy poet is pretty tough," Dillworth said with a laugh. "When I was really young, my grandmother would cut out Bruce Kiskaddon poems out of Western Stockman and put them on the refrigerator."
The two-day weekend features a steady mix of spoken word and musical acts playing cowboy music, a more traditional song form than what you hear on country radio hits. Vendors, raffles, food, and camping round out the weekend experience.
In recent years, two key organizers passed away, leaving a hole for present-day volunteers to fill.
"Claudia, before her passing, kept this thing really smooth, and they made it look effortless," Dillworth said.
The festival features food and vendors, plus afternoons filled with free music and poetry. Neighbors will need tickets to catch the evening headliners.
"We're starting now to see more younger people getting involved in there for quite a while. It was almost a lost art, and I think that's turning around. People are getting more interested in history," Dillworth said.
The Lost N Lava Cowboy Gathering runs through Saturday at the Shoshone County Fairgrounds.
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