The performers at Silver Dollar City’s Wild West, a must see show at this fall’s National Harvest & Cowboy Festival

Cowboys, Hoop Dancer, Canines Will

Take You For a Few Lopes at Festival

By Bob Lindsey

You could spend a weekend at the National Harvest & Cowboy Festival this Fall checking out the 125 craftsmen including the Best of Missouri Hands juried artists, listening to music, viewing western art, sampling trail cooking or if your up for it, attending a Barn Dance. Actually you can go to the dance just to watch the others strut their western stuff.   If you’re short on time, the one attraction, you don’t want to miss is the Wild West Show at the Red Gold Heritage Hall. The 30-minute show is probably the most popular event, so you need to get in line early for one of the three shows daily during the festival. For $10 extra (above gate admission price) you can reserve a seat.

This is an 1880s recreation of the traveling Wild West shows of that era. Featured performers include Native American Hoop Dancer Nakotah LaRance, accompanied by his father. LaRance is an 8-time world hoop dance champion and he proves it with his incredible spins, jumps and hoop routines. Trick roper and bullwhip A.J. Silver shows how these seemingly lost arts were first done over 120 years ago in the Old West.

Just like in a Buffalo Bills Wild West shows when animal tricks were routinely a part of the show, Silver Dollar City added its own canine comedy twist to its dog and monkey scene. A variety of man’s and the ladies’ best friends perform to the delight of the audience, climbing stairs and jumping through hoops with extreme doggy discipline. The not-to-be missed show brought smiles and laughs when the monkey takes some of his canine friends for a few spins around the stage driving in a scaled-down version of a stagecoach. The Wild West shows runs until Oct. 16, but the National Harvest & Cowboy Festival continues until Oct. 29.

A week later, led by Silver Dollar City, the Christmas season begins in Branson. Once again the park will be aglow with its award-winning display of thousands of holiday lights. Voted as one of the top holiday destinations in the world, by CNN.com and other media outlets, An Old Time Christmas runs Nov. 5-Dec. 30. Visit www.silverdollarcity.com for more detailed information on these events

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