The annual Kansas Cowboy Poetry Contest will feature a new regional contest location and a new date for the finals in 2025. For the first time, a first-round regional cowboy poetry contest will be held in Cottonwood Falls. The finals are being moved to the fourth Friday in July to be held in conjunction with the National Day of the Cowboy.

Regional contests will be held May 16 at the Hays Public Library and June 7 at the Cowboy Lodge in Cottonwood Falls. Contestants can enter to perform at either location or both. All ages are welcome. The top qualifiers at each regional contest will advance to the finals, which will be held at the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan July 25.

Contestants can enter online here. There are two categories: serious and humorous. Contestants can enter in one category or both. Only the contestant’s original work is allowed and all poetry must be family-friendly.

The public is invited to attend these events and there is no admission charge.