About the Festival and the Carson Valley Area
The Genoa Cowboy Festival is a wonderful blend of beautiful setting, entertainment, heritage and Western culture. Nestled at the base of the Sierra Nevada in the beautiful Carson Valley, historic Genoa is the site of the first ranch in Nevada and still has working cattle ranches literally steps from the town. From its 19th century beginnings, cowboys and ranching have shared work, words and music here. You’d be hard pressed to find a better place to celebrate the unique forms of Cowboy Poetry, Western music and the Western lifestyle.
Genoa Cowboy Festival 2014
With the efforts of the Town of Genoa and a host of volunteers and supporters, the Genoa Cowboy Festival made its entrance into the world of festivals in 2010. Thousands of folks have made their way to the shows, dinners, galleries and workshops. Both attendees and performers comment often about this event with high praise and a willingness to return again and again.
If you are new to the festival, one thing you will certainly appreciate is that, with the exception of the bus tours, all of the venues are located within just a few blocks in Genoa. Park once and you should be able to see and hear all you want without getting back into a car or shuttle.
The goal for this year is to continue to build on the success of the previous years and make the three days in May even better! Come help us build a tradition of celebrating the Western lifestyle.
Genoa and Carson Valley
On Nevada’s western border, framed by the Carson Range of the Sierra Nevada and the Pinenut Mountains, the Carson Valley unfolds. Broad and green, nourished by the Carson River and its tributaries, the Valley appeared as an oasis to early western settlers drawn by the California Gold Rush of the 1840’s. Today, it acts as a spectacular backdrop for travelers on Hwy 395.
Among those settlers was John Reese, who established the first permanent settlement in Nevada at Genoa in 1851. Today, Genoa appears much as it did in that era. It still resists traffic signals. Visitors to its timeless center will find more than a few examples of nineteenth century architecture within strolling distance.
As the home of a number of Nevada’s firsts…permanent settlement, ranch and bar are among those firsts, Genoa’s ranching history reaches back to pre Civil War days. Cowboys have been working this neck of the woods for well over 150 years and it’s easy to stand in town and look around and feel as though you might be in the Nineteenth century.
Present day Genoa offers history in its museums, fine dining, intimate lodging and surprising shopping. Its 270 residents are fiercely proud of their town, yet are more than willing to share it with visitors. All in all, it’s a perfect setting for this event.
Click here to find out more about Genoa and the Carson Valley.
CLICK HERE to go to our Map to Genoa page >
Look up driving directions on Google Maps using the link on our Map page.
