Dozens of reenactors and historians took time out of their weekend to take attendees of the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival back in time to the Wild West.
“The cowboy is romantic, people love the cowboy,” said cattle drive reenactor Brad Richardson. “It represents our individuality. When they think of a cowboy, they think of an American.”
Richardson spent his Saturday night sleeping under the stars along with other volunteers, only to wake up the next day for another round at the festival and another day of teaching attendees about what it meant to be a cowboy.
“People just love stories about cowboys, the outlaws, the good guys, bad guys, they love that time period,” he said.
Candace Castillo wore traditional Native American Apache wear and spent her weekend in front of the tepees, beading canes, making jewelry and giving everyone a glimpse into Apache life.
“You give them a peer into our daily culture,” Castillo said. “It’s important to teach kids history, because if you don’t know it, then you are deemed to repeat it.”
Five-year-old Brendan Suarez was excited to learn about everything cowboy, and was even more excited to meet the Lone Ranger.
“I love cowboys and their guns,” he said. “They even have lassos too!”
Greg Mowry, who portrayed the Lone Ranger, admitted that one of his favorite parts were seeing the reactions of people who realized who he was.
“A television star still touches people’s heart strings 60 years later, that’s why I do this,” Mowry said. “I like making people happy.”
“He enjoys the reenactors very much,” Brendan Suarez’s father, Daniel Suarez said. “They show him the different cultures and the history behind everything.”
