Dateline: September 21, 2006

Museum to host twelve wagons during cookoff

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Twelve authentic wagons will be rolling into Clarendon this weekend for the twelfth annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff to be held September 23 at the Saints’ Roost Museum.

Friday evening on the museum grounds is an exclusive members-only Dinner with the Cooks that starts at 7:00 p.m. 

On Saturday, the gates will open at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast and lunch concessions provided by Boy Scout Troop 433. The tradeshow starts at 10 a.m., and museum tours will be available throughout the day.

Live entertainment begins at 11 a.m. under the direction of Master of Ceremonies Greg Henry. Performances are scheduled by the Saints’ Roost Band; music by Katie Askew, Chandra Holman, Amber Gatlin, Larry Petitt, and Bill Houston, all of Clarendon; cowboy poet Oscar Auker of Goodnight; Jammye and Kelsey Timmons from Guthrie; and Payton Kane of Dodson.

In a change for this year’s cookoff, the Chuckwagon meal will be served at 1 p.m. instead of later in the afternoon. The menu remains the same: chicken fried steak, potatoes, beans, and cobbler.

Relatives of Col. Charles Goodnight will gather at the Adair Hospital between 2:00 and 2:15 p.m., and a special activity is being planned for them, according to Dr. Bill Greene of the Panhandle Plains Museum.

At 3:30, the museum will raffle off a pair of James Owens Handmade Boots, followed by the presentation of the cookoff awards.

Admission to the all-day event is free. Tickets for the authentic Chuckwagon meal are $10 each and can be purchased in advance at Henson’s. Boot tickets are also available at Henson’s or from any museum board member.

On Sunday morning, cowboy church will be held under the tent at the museum with preaching by Silverton rancher Walter Arnold, the 1969 World Champion Steer Roper. Donnie Hall will provide music for the service.

Proceeds from the cookoff benefit the Museum’s continuing efforts to preserve the history of Donley County.