NEHMA Block Bash!
Wild About the West
Saturday, September 12
1:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Saddle up for the first annual NEHMA Block Bash and celebrate the art, stories, and spirit of the American West! Inspired by The Lure and Lore of the West exhibition, this free community festival brings together creativity, folklore, and family fun for an unforgettable day at the museum.From 1:00 to 7:30 PM, enjoy hands-on art-making, live music, cowboy poet Andy Hedges, a fascinating Bigfoot panel discussion, face painting, cornhole, local food trucks, and more! Whether you're into Western history and legends, art and storytelling, curious about the mysteries of Bigfoot, or just looking for a fun and unexpected day out with friends and family, this festival has something for you.Bring your sense of adventure and join us for a wild Western celebration filled with creativity, community, and a little frontier mystery. Free and open to all!
5:00 PM | Outdoor Stage | No Ticket Required
Andy Hedges is a songster, reciter, storyteller, guitarist, and collector of cowboy songs and poems. The son of a schoolteacher and a rodeo cowboy turned preacher, Andy was born in Lubbock, Texas. He grew up in the small community of Tokio, Texas, where his family paid rent on an old farmhouse by looking after a few head of cattle. It was there that Andy fell in love with traditional music by listening to his father’s cassettes of cowboy songs.
Andy’s vast and varied repertoire includes cowboy poetry recitations, obscure western ballads, and the folk-blues of the working cowboy. He also hosts a podcast, Cowboy Crossroads which features in-depth interviews with fellow musicians and poets. Andy has performed many times with folk legend Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and the duo’s performance at the 60thNewport Folk Festival was named one of the “10 Best Things We Saw” by Rolling Stone. In 2023, he made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, and in 2024, Andy brought his album Roll On, Cowboys to Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Join Animal Planet’s Finding Bigfoot cast member and field researcher Cliff Barackman, USU Folklorist Lynne McNeill, and author Darren Parry, member of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone, for an engaging conversation exploring one of North America’s most enduring mysteries. Discover how stories, traditions, and our relationship with the natural world have shaped the Bigfoot legend, and consider what these tales reveal about culture, landscape, and our fascination with the unknown.
This event made possible in part by Cache County RAPZ and Zion's Bank.
