Gold Rush Days celebrates Sacramento, Calilfornia's heritage and history like no other. Downtown in 'Old Sacramento', living history reenactments present Sacramento life in the mid-1850's. There are different theme's recreated for each of the four-day celebration including the discovery of gold, the 'rush' to find it, the lawlessness of the overnight settlements, the every day life and strife in the gold camps. The streets are covered with dirt and cars are not permitted to enter the 28-acre area. Horse-drawn carriages roll along cobblestone streets, while living history characters stroll throughout in period costume. Street dramas, live theatre, musicians, dancers, saloons, miner’s tents, camp wagon cooking, arts & crafts, as well as interactive gold panning are presented. The event also includes a major recreation of the area’s diversity through an ethnic village representing Hispanics, African Americans, Asian/Pacific Islander and Native Americans.
The excitement of the California gold rush is brought to life during this free four-day event held the Friday before Labor Day through Labor Day Monday, (Aug 29 thru Sep 1 for 2008). There are also a number of great restaurants and bars in Old Sacramento, plus the California State Railroad Museum, Discovery Museum, Wells Fargo Museum, and California Military Museum are nearby.