A CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS, CULTURE AND MUSIC OF THE OLD AND NEW WEST

New Mexico, Utah, California, Montana, South Dakota, Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana and Missouri. At Murphey’s Westfest® in California he was given an award by the US Department of the Interior for his conservation efforts and work with the US National Parks, Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service.

Publications such as Cowboys and Indians, True West, Country Weekly, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Denver Post have praised Michael Martin Murphey’s American Westfest® as one of the best festivals in America. Murphey says the popularity of his festival is based on his classic “three ring circus" approach offering the public “more to do that you can get done in all the days of the festival”- daily, all-day music and poetry performances by Murphey and featured celebrities- and an exhibition of Western, Nature/ Landscape/Wildlife/ Outdoor and Native American Art, Western Crafts( jewelry, clothing, gear,etc.), authentic food and drink traditions of the Western chuck-wagon and Native American campfire, Native American/Mountain Man/ Cowboy re-enactment and showcase of their gear. 

American Westfest®'s eclectic approach stands out from other Western festivals because the music includes Contemporary and Traditional Country and Western music, Western Swing, New Age, Americana, Jazz, Bluegrass, Old-Time Folk and Gospel music- all loved and accepted by lovers of the Western Lifestyle. These are all genres of music in which Murphey himself has participated- his music been been recognized in all these fields by the Grammy Awards, Wrangler Awards,  Country Music Hall of Fame, Western Music Association, Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame, Texas Country Hall of Fame, National Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame and Old-Time Music Hall of Fame. He is in the Music Hall of Fame in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska and Iowa.