Gunfights, Bank Robberies Signal The Cowboys Are Back in Wytheville

Tom Netherland | Special to the Herald Courier
Published: June 12, 2008

WYTHEVILLE, Va.—Saddle up, pardners, for a rip-snortin’ good time.
Buckle up and drive to Virginia City in Wytheville on June 14 for Cowboy Days as part of the old west town’s monthly Second Saturday Series.
Miss that date, then mark either July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 13 or Oct. 11 for a gallop back to the days when six-shooters blazed the old west.
You may see a bank robbery. Good guys step in. A gunfight ensues. The storylines change from show to show, but the fun does not.
Virginia City’s gunfights are a blast, said Brian Goolsby.
“My technical position here is tour director, but I don’t do a lot of directing once a month,” Goolsby said Monday from Virginia City. “I get to shoot people.”
Goolsby plays a bad guy. He didn’t choose the role, but he sure loves playing the part.
“I got into this about three years ago when they were missing a cowboy,” Goolsby said. “I came out with a long black trench coat, black hat, and my hair is past my shoulders.”
Sound like a good guy from the west? Um, no.
“They took one look at me and said, ‘You’re the bad guy,’ ” he said.
Talk about a fun gig.
“Yeah,” Goolsby said, “except you die.”
But what a show. Sometimes as many as 30 or 40 re-enactors participate. Many are armed with authentic guns – loaded with blanks – from the era of the old west.
“Most of the guys take it very seriously,” Goolsby said. “Most of them wear period clothing from the 1880s. Some of the guys have gone out west to Tombstone to do re-enactments.”
Virginia City features genuine old buildings, including several that are open to walk through. There’s a town hall, a general store that doubles as a gift shop and a jail.
Gunfights are scheduled throughout the day. However, for those who wish to experience the west in other ways, there are alternatives available.
“We’re putting up a screen in town hall and will show movies in there all day,” Goolsby said. “We have about 200 old westerns, most of them from the 1940s and ’50s. There’s a bunch of John Wayne and Roy Rogers’ old movies that we’ll show.”
Entertainment costs $5. However, if that’s too rich for your blood, an option exists to whittle the price of admission.
“You get a $2 discount if you come dressed in period clothing,” Goolsby said. “I think that is absolutely wonderful. It adds to the aura. The more people dressed up, the more real it will look.”
As a once-a-month bad guy from the old west, Goolsby ought to know. Step into his boots. Imagine getting to play cowboy again right smack dab in the middle of an old west town.
“It’s awesome,” Goolsby said. “To dress up as a cowboy, go out and play shoot ‘em up is an absolute blast.”

TOM NETHERLAND is a freelance writer. He can be reached at .

IF YOU GO
What: Cowboy Days
When: June 14, noon-6 p.m., and then every second Saturday through October
Where: Virginia City, 7108 Stoney Fork Road, Wytheville
Tickets: $5 for ages 13 and up for entertainment, $3 if dressed in period clothing
Info: (276) 223-1873
Web: http://www.vacity.com