Solomon Atkinson and his 11-year-old daughter, Amy, came for the bull riding.

So did Dave and Zoe Meldrum and their grandsons, David, 8, and John, 5.

But when both families arrived at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center for the Augusta Futurity early to get good seats, they were drawn to the Cherokee Indian drumming, singing and dancing that was a part of the Western Culture and Food Festival.

"It's really great that they're doing all this. It's fun for the kids," said Mrs. Meldrum, of Aiken. She and her husband had driven to Columbia to pick up their grandchildren for the show. Bundled in coats and scarves, they all sat on the civic center steps to watch the demonstrations.

"I like that guy," David said, pointing to a dancer decked out in white and yellow feathers and fringe. "He did a cool dance."

"The shows are an exchange of culture," said John Grant, the leader of a group called Birdtown Crossing, from Cherokee, N.C.

The Gunfighters, a group of professionals from Fort Worth, Texas, followed the dancers with a comedic pretend robbery and mock shootout.

"I liked when they were shooting the guns. It was funny," said Boldt Richardson, 5, of Barnwell, who took pictures with the phony gunmen.

All the demonstrations are on Seventh Street in front of a western town backdrop, which is where Sunday's 2 p.m. Horse and Carriage parade will end. Food vendors and a concert stage sit just a few feet away.

Mr. Atkinson, of Aiken, said he'd never seen bull riding and had to "see who was crazy enough to ride a 1,000-pound bull."

"But I enjoyed the gunfight and now I'm going to check out some of this food," he said.

Entry to the festival costs $4 but is free with a pass obtained with the purchase of a Coca-Cola or Budweiser product from any Pump 'N Shop. A Wrangler Family Fun Fest, with trick roping, square dancing, puppet shows and more, will be featured today, and Shiloh and the Rhes Reeves Band will perform tonight.

Reach C. Samantha McKevie at (706) 823-3552 or samantha.mckevie@augustachronicle.com.