This Week in Santa Clarita: Michael Fleming previews the 2016 Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival.
The 23rd Annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival will feature new and popular Wild West activities on Saturday, April 23 and Sunday April 24 at William S. Hart Park, located at 24151 Newhall Avenue.

Alongside four stages featuring several highly-anticipated Cowboy Festival musical acts, William S. Hart Park Event Area will also host numerous Western attractions throughout the park.

Festival visitors can test their rodeo skills on the twists, turns, bucks and jolts of the mechanical bull, or unleash their inner cowboy as they try to rope an almost-real calf from a life-size horse.

Adventurous attendees can take aim at the archery range or practice their “slick-shootin” with laser tag quick draw.

Also at the festival is a Wild, Wild West obstacle course, where cowboys and cowgirls of all ages can test their agility and quick thinking through a series of hurdles.

Horseshoe experts can try their hand at a giant version of the game by tossing extra-large horseshoes across the park lawn.

Other popular Cowboy Festival activities will return, including gun spinning, trick roping, a Stage Coach Bounce House, living history exhibits and much more.

For many festival-goers, food is one of the biggest highlights of the Cowboy Festival.

A variety of food vendors, as well as gourmet food trucks will be on site with food for sale.

The SCV Rotary Club will be bringing the not-to-be-missed favorite Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler and Cowboy Coffee back to the festival this year.

The Cowboy Festival also serves as the perfect place to purchase a new cowboy hat or pick up a pair of unique cowboy boots.

Attendees can find one-of-a-kind accessories, specialty or fine crafted home goods and Western merchandise from vendors including Rustic Cowboy, Brushpoppers, Windwalker Treasures, Colorado Mountain Hat Company and Stichin’ Horse Ranch.

For more information on the 2016 Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival, including tickets, shopping, specialty food and schedules, visit CowboyFestival.org.