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A wild west cowboy dinner show at O’Keefe

The annual Cowboy Dinner Show is back for its 9th season at the O’Keefe Ranch
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The annual Cowboy Dinner Show is back for its 9th season at O’Keefe Ranch as, this year, Canada and O’Keefe Ranch both celebrate 150 years in existence.

The show will take guests back to Canada’s Wild West and Rob Dinwoodie and his western musical trio “Open Range” will capture the image of the cowboy in song and story, while the ever popular Ken Mather, historian, author and cowboy poet, will recollect the exciting events leading up to the establishment of the historic O’Keefe Ranch.

“What do cowboys, gold, railways, bandits and Mounties have to do with celebrating a birthday? These were just a few milestones that formed our province and the great nation we live in, and we’ll touch on these topics in the show,” Dinwoodie said.

This year, stories will be told of both the events and characters that were prominent in the development of Western Canada and B.C. With the 150th anniversary of O’Keefe Ranch occurring just before Canada’s 150th, stories and songs will retell how wild this part of the world really was in 1867.

“Cornelius O’Keefe was not only a rancher but was the first post master in the Okanagan. And little known fact, the first cattle to enter Alberta were actually from British Columbia,” Dinwoodie said.

These are glimpses of some of the history that will be shared at the show. A dramatic presentation of some historic figures will be portrayed by Jason and Christian Armstrong, who mix both humour and authenticity to the evening. The show will portray the historical drama that occurred in both the making of B.C. and the nation of Canada in this exciting and entertaining show.

A highlight for guests is to ride in the horse drawn BC Express stagecoach. It’s a replica of the stagecoaches that travelled the Cariboo road during the gold rush era. Guests can also try their hand at roping, as Dinwoodie teaches this fine art, after which there is a fun competition for the honour of top roping cowpuncher.

The O’Keefe Ranch pavilion used for the Cowboy Dinner Show has recently been expanded and can now accommodate more guests. A new stage and seating arrangement will ensure there isn’t a bad seat in the house.

Dinwoodie is in the process of finishing a new recording of songs that will be part of the Cowboy Dinner Show. His passion for the west began 25 years ago, when he first told the historic story of the cowboy in song to bus tours. Since then he and his band, which this year includes Dixon Zalit and his daughter Julia, have taken these songs to new musical levels.

During the show, guests will enjoy a cowboy feast of sizzling steaks with all the trimmings served up by Cattlemen’s Club Restaurant. The evening will conclude under the stars singing songs around a cowboy campfire.

The Cowboy Dinner Show runs every Friday night from July 7 to Sept. 1. Doors open at 5 p.m., stagecoach rides and roping practice take place before dinner, which is served at 6:30 p.m. during the show, and the campfire singalong is from 8-9 p.m. This is a family friendly show. Tickets are $52.45 for adults, $37.75 for children 12 and under. Cash bar available. To purchase tickets, visit www.okeeferanch.ca, 250-542-7868.