Kamloops Cowboy Festival

Mark McMillan and Mag Mawhinney at the 2019 Kamloops Cowboy Festival.

The Joe Marten Memorial Award for the Preservation of Cowboy Heritage in B.C. is presented annually to a local (past or present) involved in the promotion and/or preservation of Western heritage in B.C.

Congratulations to the 2018 recipients — leather craftsman, Mark Denny, and roots poet, Mag Mawhinney.

Mark Denny is the owner and craftsman of the multi-generational cowboy store, Cariboo Saddlery, in Williams Lake, and Mag Mawhinney is an award-winning roots poet who lives on Vancouver Island. The awards were presented during the main performance at the Coast Plaza Hotel.

The Joe Marten Memorial Award was created in the memory of Western aficionado Joe Marten of 150 Mile House, B.C., who passed away unexpectedly in 1999 after suffering serious injuries in a riding accident.

The 24th Annual Kamloops Cowboy Festival goes March 19–22, 2020. Tickets went on on sale November 1, 2019 and also make an excellent gift! For more information call toll free 1-888-763-2221 or visit BCCHS.com.