By PHOEBE DONALD ROBINSON / Community Columnist

The Seventh Annual Columbiana Cowboy Day sponsored by the city of Columbiana and the Shelby County Cattleman’s Association will be Saturday, Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The 28th Annual Cattleman’s Rodeo will be Feb. 27 and 28 at the Shelby County Exhibition Center on Highway 70.

Gates open at 6 p.m.; rodeo starts at 7:30 p.m.

Cowboy Day began in 2009 as a family-friendly event to highlight the rodeo, which is the following weekend each year.

The annual tradition is now highly anticipated. Events start at 10 a.m. with live music, crafts and food vendors with cowboy, blacksmith and farrier demonstrations on the Summer Classic property.

At high noon, the event moves to Main Street with the Wild West Shoot-Out.

Good guys will shoot it out with the bad guys in middle of Main Street near the Old Shelby County Courthouse from 12-12:15 p.m.

Following the shoot-out from 12:15-1 p.m., Cowboy Bruce Brannen with his 2Branch Wild West Show will appear on Main Street.

A huge favorite last year, Brannen will perform rope tricks, demonstrate amazing gun skills and showcase his fantastic Western original art.

According to 2branchwildwestshow.com, “Cowboy Bruce Brannen, as a page out of history, invites audiences to take a trip back in time to the early years of America’s western expansion. Through stories, poems and exciting demonstrations of the ‘almost’ extinct cowboy arts, Cowboy Bruce brings to life the days of the big western cattle drives.”

Following Cowboy Bruce will be the traditional Seventh Annual Cowboy Parade. Columbiana is proud to showcase our local cowboys in a purely animal driven parade.

All cowboys, cowgirls and “cowkids” are welcome to be part of the parade, horse included or not.

Please meet at the grass to the left of the Piggly Wiggly on West College Street at 12:30-12:45 p.m.

The parade starts at 1 p.m. Remember, no motorized vehicles allowed.

After the parade, there will be a square dance “hoe down” on the Summer Classics property, not on Main Street like last year. Come and bring your dancing shoes and dance the afternoon away with live music and caller from 2-3 p.m.