This Saturday, July 25th, we will gather together in celebrating the 11th Annual National Day of the Cowboy, or NDOC. Each year, this day is celebrated on the 4th Saturday in the month of July. The National Day of the Cowboy holds such a special and meaningful place in the hearts of those who both understand and appreciate the heritage of our great nation. The day exists specifically to preserve the pioneer heritage and the cowboy culture of our country, and to ensure that the core values of that culture remain intact.

This national day of commemorative celebration has been in the works since 2005. So far ten states have passed the National Day of the Cowboy bill: Texas, Wyoming, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, Oregon, Mississippi, Kansas, and Virginia. Many political forces have gotten behind this bill. Former President Bush made the statement that, “We celebrate the Cowboy as a symbol of the grand history of the American West. The Cowboy’s love of the land and love of the country are examples for all Americans.”

Each year the NDOC organization, designates an artist to create a unique piece of art to add to the Hatch Print Poster Series. These commemorative pieces can be purchase through the NDOC Online Shop. In addition to these Hatch Posters, you can purchase customized buckles, bumper stickers, flags, Cowboy and Cowgirl Code of Conduct cards, and much more.

We’ve highlighted some popular ideas on how to spend your day truly honoring and celebrating the cowboy culture of the past and present. These events will appeal to those of all ages and bring your community together for such a good cause.

• Barn dance
• Chili cook-off
• Country music concert
• Cowboy karaoke
• Ice cream social
• Mustache contest
• Poker tournament
• Pony rides
• Steer roping
• Trail rides
• Watermelon seed spitting
• Wildwest show

For further ideas, you can check out the Events List on the NDOC website.