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Gold Rush Days 2013
July 19-21
2013 Applications
Contact Information
Katie Allen 719.209.0159 / kallen@victorco.us
The Historic Home Tours will be on Saturday, July 20, 10:30- 3:00. Tour interiors of 1890's homes and a commercial building. $5 tickets (incl. route map) available at Nana's Attic, Marigold Mercantile, Victor Hotel. www.victorheritagesociety.com; 303-324-4030
Pan for Gold at the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum - all weekend 10-4.
Mine Tours - All days at at 10, 1 and 2. Reservations highly recommended.
Hand Steeling at the Mining Games
The History of Gold Rush Days
Gold Rush Days started in 1895 as the “World Celebration” in celebration of the town's incorporation as a city July 16, 1894, and honored Victor C. Adams, one of Victor’s original settlers, and the man Victor was named after. Because mining moved into the area and changed the face of the town, the celebration was next billed as the “Annual Miners Reunion” and consisted of a carnival and street parade.
The Miners Reunion continued until 1899 when a fire destroyed most of downtown Victor and some of the surrounding residential areas. Following the fire, the next celebration was in 1904. Ringling Brothers was the featured attraction. They set up their “big top” at the corner of Fourth Street and Victor Avenue. The famous picture of the tight-wire walker balancing on the wire above a street full of people is said to have been taken during this celebration. The population of Victor was approximately 8,000 people at that time.
The celebration continued uninterrupted until WWI when the celebration was stopped for two years. After the war, it started up again in 1918. The main attractions at that time were the hard rock drilling contests and the timed races of all the fire departments in the district.
After WWII the name changed to Gold Rush Days. During this period, Lowell Thomas, Governor Ralph Carr and other dignitaries came to ride in the parade and enjoy the fun with the Victor residents.
Gold Rush Days has continued uninterrupted since it claimed that name after WWII. The size of the festival has fluctuated from year-to-year. Some years, rain has been a factor in keeping the crowd small. Other years, Victor citizens just didn’t feel much like celebrating as they anxiously awaited news from men who was fighting in yet another war.
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