4th Annual San Angelo Cowboy Gathering Sold Out For Fourth Time

SAN ANGELO, TX - Starting this Friday, September 9, at 4 p.m., the doors of the Wells Fargo Pavilion, located at 50 East 43rd Street, in San Angelo will open to those lucky enough to have purchased wristbands months ago for an award winning event.

"We're real excited having recently won the 2016 Ameripolitan Award in February; we were up against four other states: Tennessee, Virginia, Massachusetts, and even the 'Viva Las Vegas' event in Nevada," said Terri Holland, director of the San Angelo Cowboy Gathering. 

The SACG is an annual event to celebrate the cowboy culture and 'Western Swing Music,' so that it continues to live on. It will also benefit a local non-profit in San Angelo. This year's organization is Meals For the Elderly.

Holland reiterated, and posted on Facebook, that "there are no more wristbands left at this time," and "there is a long list of people hoping that someone will want to sell theirs. There will be none available at the door."

She added, "Every January, we start selling sponsorship packages, and then tickets go on sale to the public in May. Our sponsors are mostly ranchers who are able to buy their tickets early as to guarantee their seats, which is one of our advertisement perks."  

Over 1,100 tickets were sold this year. 

"We have vendors coming from all over including New Mexico, as well as local vendors selling a variety of things. Meals for the Elderly will be cooking Friday, which will benefit their organization, and then we'll have barbecue from Rio Concho Catering on Saturday. Guests also have the option to leave the event and eat elsewhere, and as long as they have their wristband, they can come back in."

Event times are as follows: Friday, September 9, doors open at 4 p.m., and music will start at 4:15 p.m. Saturday, September 10, doors open at 11 a.m., and music will start at 11:15 a.m.

"The festivities will last until midnight each night, and the only breaks will be between bands when they are changing out their sets," said Holland.

There will also be 15 different bands, and the featured artist taking the stage on Saturday, at 5:30 p.m., is none other than The Ambassadors of Western Swing, Billy Mata and the Texas Tradition, with special guest Floyd Domino.

The band's countless awards and accomplishments over the last three decades include being inducted into both the Sacramento, California and the Texas Western Swing Halls of Fame and being named the 2016 Ameripolitan Western Swing Group of the year.

Mata's CD album releases, "Keepin' The Tradition," "Traditionally Yours, Billy Mata," and "Domino Effect" are a mix of Western Swing and Traditional Country with occasional smooth ballads and pop jazz tunes. 

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"This is a pretty good little event that usually sells out pretty quick," said Mata. "To see where it came from to where it is now, I've been to a few of these, and the San Angelo one is really nice. We're very popular in this area. We're from the San Antonio area, but travel all over Texas and the Southwest, which has a large fan base for Western Swing and hardcore traditional Country. I've had my own group since 1980; some of these guys have been with me for a few years, some for 20. I started out with friends of mine, but with the progression of time, hired different people. I'm really looking forward to being there, and it's just a lot of fun to participate in this thing. It makes what I do for a living so much easier knowing that the people are pleased."

If you miss this event, fans are encouraged to sign up on the event's email list, [email protected], to be notified of future events. Be sure to check out the webpage here.