The 9th Annual California Trail Days this Saturday and Sunday is a free fun family event and will be bigger than ever before and feature more costumed presenters, more trail crafts, more stories of the emigrants’ triumphs and tribulations, more live animals, and the recently completed permanent exhibits of the California Trail Interpretive Center.

Prior to the start of California Trail Days is the much anticipated Grand Opening of year-round operations of the California Trail Interpretive Center at 10 a.m., June 2. For a sneak peek at the new exhibits, visit our Flickr page bit.ly/KOG1Lg.

The theme of this year’s California Trail Days is Commerce on the Trail and will include two featured speakers – John Luzader and Steve Beck.

Luzader is one of the foremost experts on living history and recipient of the National Association for Interpretation’s prestigious Fellow Award for Interpretation. He will present two programs, “The Language of Trade: Indian Sign Language” at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, and “The World in a Trunk: Trade Goods of the American West” at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Beck, Director of Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, will present “A New Life at the End of the Trail” at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday, and illuminates the vital role John Sutter played in developing commerce in California and helping weary emigrants establish a new life in the West.

Other attractions include Bull Whackin’ Kass and her team of live oxen, horse-drawn wagon rides, pony express demonstrations, black powder firearms demonstrations, the newly-completed Western Shoshone Camp, live gold-rush era music, blacksmithing, and much, much more.

The California Trail Interpretive Center, operated by the Bureau of Land Management, is located eight miles west of Elko, at Hunter exit 292. The California Trail Interpretive Center will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on June 2 and 3 during California Trail

Days and then open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. seven days a week starting Thursday, June 7. Visit www.blm.gov/cv5c, elkotraildays.com, our Facebook page or call (775) 738-1849 for more information.

California Trail Days
Saturday and Sunday June 2nd & 3rd
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Free Admission

Saturday

10 a.m. Opening ceremony and ribbon cutting, California Trail Center Plaza

Noon Black Powder Demonstration Wagon Encampment, center

12:30 p.m. Seeing the Elephant: Songs and Lore, Chris Bayer, South Fork Room

1 p.m. Pony Express Demonstration Wagon Encampment

1:30 p.m. The Language of Trade: Indian Sign Language, John Luzader, South Fork Room

2:30 p.m. A New Life at the End of the Trail, Steve Beck, South Fork Room

3:30 p.m. Pony Express Demonstration Wagon Encampment

Sunday

11 a.m. Seeing the Elephant: Songs and Lore, Chris Bayer South Fork Room

Noon Pony Express Demonstration Wagon Encampment

12:30 p.m. The World in a Trunk: Trade Goods of the West, John Luzader, South Fork Room

2 p.m. A New Life at the End of the Trail, Steve Beck, South Fork Room

2:30 p.m. Pony Express Demonstration Wagon Encampment

3 p.m. Seeing the Elephant: Songs and Lore, Chris Bayer, South Fork Room