OLD SACRAMENTO — Gold Rush Days return to Old Sacramento over the extended Labor Day Weekend —Friday, Sept. 4, through Monday, Sept. 7.

The wildly fun and free heritage celebration offers a variety of family-friendly special activities that take place throughout the historic district to help visitors experience what life was like in the 1850s.

This unique Sacramento heritage event features a wide variety of crowd-favorite entertainment, all free to experience and enjoy. To set the tone and get the crowd in a festive spirit, an impressive and varied line-up of free, live entertainment will be available on various stages throughout Old Sacramento, including a variety of bands playing many different genres in the always-popular Save Mart BBQ Patio area.

A few of the talented bands performing in the Save Mart BBQ Patio include the following:  the Ariel Jean Band, Blackburn Bullet, Way Out West and the Dave Russell Band.  In addition, some of the other heritage-themed live bands performing throughout the historic district include the Miner’s Band, the Dusty Turtle, Liquor Cakes and Westbound 50.

Guests to Old Sacramento will also be entertained with staged and impromptu street activities which include (but are not limited to): 

uElaborate daily parades

uDancing and lively street events

uThree engaging melodramas — one focused on the Fire of ’52 and featuring the Gold Rush Fire Brigade, another about Gun Stories and a heated Squatters Riot plus an interactive Living History melodrama playing in the Eagle Theatre

A country western dance on Saturday night on 2nd Street (to the tunes of Westbound 50)

A ridiculously fun outdoor musical western movie showing of Paint Your Wagon on Saturday & Sunday evenings

Mining camp theatrics

Medicine shows

An international award-winning juggler

Horse-drawn carriages and wagon rides

Gold panning, storytelling and hands-on children’s arts and crafts activities

Crowd-favorite watermelon and pie-eating contests

A period-appropriate peddlers auction

The ever-popular Tent City depicting daily life during the Gold Rush

Artisan Alley

uThe annual painting of the white picket fence at the Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum on Tom Sawyer Day (Monday)

While admission to the event is free, treats and beverages are available for purchase in the dozens of local eateries and bars in Old Sacramento along with barbecued favorites in the Save Mart BBQ Patio area, homemade sarsaparilla, draft ale, local wines, and more available throughout the event.

Event hours are as follows:  Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.   For a complete listing of activities or more information about Gold Rush Days, visit www.sacramentogoldrushdays.com or call 916.-808.7777.