Pawnee Bill Ranch to Host Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Days on June 11

PAWNEE, Okla. — The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will celebrate the lives of Maj. Gordon W. Lillie “Pawnee Bill” and his wife, May Lillie, as well as their famous Wild West Shows with a free, one-day festival on Saturday June 11, 2022. Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Days will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the original historic ranch site. 

Stagecoaches will roll amid thundering horse hooves while the lightning of gunfire explodes around Pawnee Bill, May and their cohorts as the talented performers thrill and amaze audiences. This one-day celebration will feature exhibitions of acts from the original Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Shows.  Kevin Webb will portray Pawnee Bill for the 14th time. Webb, a long-time Wild West Show cast member and Pawnee Bill Ranch employee, is also a whip artist and chariot racer. Alyce Webb will portray May Lillie for the 4th time, performing her act on horseback. The Mike Pahsetopah family will perform as the Dancing Eagles, paying tribute to American Indian culture with their stunning Native dancing. Show cowboys and cowgirls will be back again this year to demonstrate their skills with reckless feats of horsemanship and entertaining races. Alongside the traditional acts, Oklahoma City Thunder mascot Rumble the Bison will be on-site from 11 a.m. to noon to greet visitors.

The museum will be open to the public during the festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food from local food trucks will be available for purchase on-site. There will be historically accurate entertainment such as blacksmithing, chuckwagon cooking, gunfighters and sharpshooters, a magician, medicine man shows and musicians, held continuously on the ranch grounds during the festival.

There is no admission fee to attend this event. For more information, please call 918-762-2513 or email [email protected]. The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is located at 1141 Pawnee Bill Road in Pawnee.  The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites, and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.