"The Cowboy Symposium is an annual event held in Lubbock, TX to celebrate western and cowboy culture and to recognize the on going contribution of the cowboy and ranching to the west and southwest.  The event draws participants from all over the country and even from places like Austraiia to take part in the festivities and to present the widely varying aspects of cowboy/ranching life.  One of the major attractions of the 3 day event is the annual chuckwagon cookoff which pits cooking teams from all over the ranching country to determine who can cook up the best chuckwagon fair in traditional ""on the range"" fashion.  The public can purchase tickets to their favorite wagon and enjoy authentic cowboy cooking at lunch on Saturday.  A cowboy range religous service and chuckwagon breakfast is served up on Sunday morning before everyone breaks down and readies for the journey home.  In addition to the chuckwagon activities, visitors are treated to readings of western poetry, stories and legends, traditional cowboy songs and music, living history displays from cavalry re-enactment goups and dancing and story telling by Native American groups.  Range transportation is featured from the long past horse powered working day to modern procedures using off road vehicles and helicopters.  Art and artifacts are also available from paintings to custom jewelry to custom hats."
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