Cowboy Festival

Saturday we attended the Cowboy Festival. After you all stop laughing read the history of the ranch and movie studio below. 

Me and my cowboy stud

Checking out the stage coach

About the Festival:
In 1994, in the aftermath of the Northridge earthquake, the Santa Clarita Cowboy Poetry
and Music Festival began its quest for a suitable location. At the time the owners of Melody Ranch, Renaud and Andre Veluzet agreed to host our first event and the tradition began.
This year marks the 16th Anniversary of the Festival. Still carrying the new name from last year, we will be offering the same high quality music, poetry, food and cowboy gear that patrons have enjoyed in the past.

About the Ranch:
Since 1915, when the studio was first opened for business, an endless string of hard riding shoot-em-ups have been produced at this location. Monogram Studios made 750 "B" westerns before selling the ranch to singing cowboy Gene Autry in 1952. Legendary cowboy actors, including William S. Hart, Gary Cooper, Tom Mix, Roy Rogers, Bill Boyd, and John Wayne filmed their westerns here until 1962 when a fire swept through Placerita Canyon destroying the main western street during a photo shoot with Elvis. I learned saturday he helped put out the fire.

Gene Autry maintained the rest of the ranch for his horse Champion until the horses death in 1990. He then put the ranch up for sale and the Veluzat brothers purchased it. Melody Ranch has been brought back to life with the restoration of the famous western street. You can experience a page torn from history on the street where famous westerns were made such as, The Lone Ranger, Wyatt Earp, Gunsmoke, Hopalong Cassidy, Annie Oakly, Rin Tin Tin and the Cisco Kid. The recent western is the HBO series Deadwood. (another blog you will learn more movies that have filmed there)

Cowboy singers

I'm glad he didn't rope me

The set was huge like a real town.

Me behind bars

They actually need a sign that states no guns?