Activities for the young and young at heart will highlight the 46th Annual Ranch Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 9 at the National Ranching Heritage Center NRHC) in Lubbock.
More than 4,000 visitors attend Ranch Day each year as more than 150 volunteers work to make the NRHC come alive with living history demonstrations and hands-on experiences for the whole family. The popular event will also include hands-on ranch science activities, a ranch horse skills demonstration by the Texas Tech Ranch Horse and Rodeo teams, a stick horse rodeo, music, dancing, and a magic show at the 6666 Barn.
Guests are encouraged to participate in such historic activities as visiting with living history docents to learn about life as a pioneer, leather working, washing clothes on a washboard, churning butter, and riding horses . Science activities will include learning about wind energy, exploring animal science, and investigating plants and soils.
The “Ranch Hand Experience” program will allow visitors (ranch hands) to get work cards when they arrive and have their cards stamped as they complete each activity. After six activities, visitors can take their stamped work cards to the Matador Office to receive cowboy pay that can be spent at the Waggoner Commissary.
The NRHC is a unique 27-acre museum and historical park that offers educational programs and exhibits to promote interest in ranching history and contemporary ranching issues. Located at 3121 Fourth Street adjacent to the Texas Tech University campus, the center provides 48 authentic dwellings and ranch structures from some of the nation’s most historic ranches. NRHC does not charge an admission fee for its activities but encourages donations to support its educational programs.
(News release from the National Ranching Heritage Center)
