Spirit of the West Cowboy Gathering Kicks Off Tonight

The cowboy lifestyle is being celebrated in Ellensburg this weekend. Vendors spent the afternoon setting up booths at the Kittitas County Fairgrounds for the "Spirit of the West Cowboy Gathering." The four day event kicks off tonight, and will feature music, poetry, as well as roping and cooking contests. Organizers say the "Spirit of the West" event pays tribute to the old fashioned values of the cowboy. It also reminds people how cowboys and ranchers contribute to the local economy. "It amazes me when people say if we didn't have the cowboys and the ranchers, where would your hamburger and steaks come from, and people just say Safeway or Albertsons or Super One, but guess what, someone's gotta raise that beef," says Entertainment Comm. Chair Diana Tasker...more