Western Heritage Weekend and Tom Mix Festival, Tom Mix Museum

Dewey keeps the spirit of Tom Mix and the Old West alive with the 12th annual Western Heritage Weekend on Saturday, September 24, and Sunday, September 25. Voted True West magazine’s “Reader’s Choice for Best Old West Event,” Western Heritage Weekend and Tom Mix Festival events reflect the best in family fun and historical entertainment. Dewey will come alive with the sounds of longhorn cattle and stagecoaches during this two-day festival.

Saturday’s events begin at 9 a.m. with the Miles for Mammograms “Boot Scoot” 5K and Fun Run benefiting Family Healthcare Clinic. The starting gun for the race will be fired by one of the many Old West reenactors. New this year is an old-time cowboy camp, including historical hitch-wagons, carriages, and a stagecoach provided by the Lazy J Ranch and John Howell. Camped alongside will be Buffalo Bill, portrayed by Kent Shelton. Stagecoach, wagon, and carriage rides will be available for hire. The festivities also include live music, children”s games, merchandise and food vendors, a tractor show, a stick horse rodeo and a western hero look-a-like costume contest. There will be a bank robbery and gun fight by the Tom Mix Gunfighters. The Tom Mix Museum and the Dewey Hotel Museum will offer free admission, though donations are appreciated.

The Tom Mix Museum will host a book signing by Bob M. White featuring his recently released book, The Tom Mix Cord: Saga of a Western Film Star’s Classic Motorcar. John T. Wayne, grandson of John Wayne will also be on hand to sign copies of his historical novels. Two reenactor programs are scheduled for the Tom Mix Museum Theater. The first living history event will begin at 11 a.m. when Joe Glazer and Jackie Hunsucker will bring the days of the 101 Ranch alive as Colonel Joe Miller and Molly Miller. At 1 p.m. Betty Kime will appear as Olive Stokes, Tom Mix’s third wife and Dewey native. The high point of the day for many is the Wild West Parade at 3 p.m.

On Sunday, the venue changes from downtown Dewey to Prairie Song Village, a re-created Old West town approximately five miles east of Dewey. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. with a cowboy breakfast available from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the Songcatcher Barn. Cowboy Church will be held at 10 a.m. in the arena. Merchandise and food vendors will open at 10 a.m., with tours of Prairie Song buildings from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. A gunfight is set for high noon at the bank. The Wild West Show starts at 1:30 p.m. when the cowboys round up the longhorns and drive them into the arena. Featured performers include Tim “Wild Thang” Lepard and Michael “Goobie” Smith, rodeo clown-both returning to the Wild West arena by popular demand. Also returning are crowd pleasing favorite trick riders Haley Ganzel and the Tricked Out Trickriders, Dusta Lee and Trey Kimzey, with special guest Madison Schalla performing their death-defying feats. The Western Heritage Wild West Show would not be complete without the Sky High Angels performance drill team. Returning for their 12th year these young women provide exciting action with their pageantry and patriotism.

For more information please call 918-534-155, visit www.tommixmuseum.com or find “Western Heritage Weekend in Dewey, OK” on Facebook.