Summer weekends in Los Angeles are packed with reasons to get outside, from food festivals and outdoor watch parties to celebrations that only come around once a year.
Next weekend, one of the city’s most iconic green spaces is trading hiking boots for cowboy boots as the Autry Museum of the American West hosts what promises to be California’s largest National Day of the Cowboy and Cowgirl celebration.
Taking place on Saturday, July 25, the all-day event transforms the museum grounds into a lively Western festival packed with live entertainment, hands-on activities, and family-friendly experiences, set within the more than 4,200 acres of Griffith Park.
Celebrate the National Day of the Cowboy at the Autry
Running from 10 AM to 5 PM, the celebration brings together live music, interactive demonstrations, museum programming, and outdoor activities designed for all ages.
Visitors can watch professional trick ropers perform before trying a few rope tricks themselves, snap photos with horses courtesy of Urban Saddles, learn country line dancing with Mike’s Country Dancing, and enjoy performances by Emily Rose and the Rounders, The Tone Slingers, The Wandering Wranglers, and Michael Sullivan.
Cowboy poetry readings, film screenings inside the Autry Theater, docent-led museum tours, saloon games, food trucks, and a cash bar round out the festivities. Autry Members receive free admission when reserving online, plus early entry and access to an exclusive picnic featuring live music, members-only food trucks, drinks, and a petting zoo!
About the National Day of the Cowboy
National Day of the Cowboy is observed annually on the fourth Saturday of July to celebrate the people, cultures, and traditions that shaped the American West. Established through grassroots efforts in the early 2000s, the day recognizes not only ranching heritage but also the diverse communities that contributed to Western history, including Indigenous peoples, Black cowboys, Mexican vaqueros, and frontier settlers.
Home to more than 600,000 objects and cultural materials related to the American West, the Autry Museum has become one of the country’s leading venues for the celebration, using the occasion to showcase Western history through live performances, educational programming, and interactive experiences for both longtime enthusiasts and first-time visitors.
