By Mark McMillan
The 15th Annual 100 Mile House Cowboy Concert is scheduled for Feb. 14, and to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy the music at Martin Exeter Hall, there will be a matinee performance at 2 p.m. and an evening show at 7 p.m.
This event is definitely a crowd favourite and proof is in the tickets sales. Year after year, the show sells out. Year after year they get calls at the last minute for tickets – that’s why a second show, a matinee, was added a few years back.
It's usually the second Saturday in February and it just happens that this year the concert lands on Valentine's Day.
Why is this concert so popular? Simple, it's really good family entertainment at a very reasonable price – what else can people do for $15?
The entertainment – well it seems the concert has a reputation for bringing in good entertainment. Folks say it doesn't really matter if they know who will be on stage – they just know they've never been disappointed in the past.
Most years have seen new faces in the lineup, but they do get requests to bring back favourites, and this year is one of those years.
Tom Cole and Brian Salmond were at the 100 Mile Cowboy Concert in 2005 and went over super well. They're always favourites at the Kamloops Cowboy Festival, too.
That wonderful deep voice of Tom Cole's as he sings some of the classic western songs, and the humour and originality of his side kick, cowboy poet Brian Salmond, are hard to beat.
This year will see a couple of new faces, too. Leslie Ross and Jason Ruscheinsky are local favourites, but they've never performed at the Cowboy Concert.
They both went over really well at Cariboo Country Night, the Museum in Williams Lake Cowboy Christmas Concert, and at the Canada Day Celebration at 108 Mile Ranch. They will undoubtedly be well received at the 100 Mile House Cowboy Concert.
This is one of the biggest annual fundraisers for the BC Cowboy Heritage Society (BCCHS), too, and all proceeds go towards three annual BCCHS student scholarships and to the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Just think, a full show with all that talent for only $15 and the money all goes to a good cause to boot.
Tickets are available at Work n Play, 100 Mile Feed and Ranch Supply, and PMT Chartered Accountants in 100 Mile House.
If you're from out of town, then phone orders can be made at 1-888-763-2221.
Mark McMillan is the organizer for the 100 Mile House Cowboy Concert.
