Gold Rush comes alive in Coloma Oct. 9-11

Celebrate 250 years of the United States by stepping back in time during Coloma Gold Rush Live! at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. The public is invited to experience California's rich Gold Rush history on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9-10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. During this 3-day event, park staff and volunteers transform the park into a gold rush tent town where visitors can experience what life may have been like in 1850. Join us for a celebration parade, speeches and cannon firing, live demonstrations, hands-on activities, a puppet show, activities for the kids and more. Visitors will step back in time to Coloma in 1850, where those just arriving from the states or points beyond can find everything they need to prepare for life in the mines. Your first stop might be the bath house and tonsorial to wash off the dust from the road and get a shave. Then on to the laundress who will make short work of your dusty clothes. Visit one of several general stores in town to stock up on provisions. Then head over to the general delivery to post a letter to family and friends back east announcing your safe arrival in Coloma. After you've checked out the prospects at the mining camp on the river, visit the carpenter shop to place an order for a rocker box, or the blacksmith to have your tools repaired. The claims office will help you register your claim, and the assayer can determine the worth of your strike. If you're seeking some of the comforts of home, hotels in town offer a hot meal and clean accommodations. Or stop by the saloon for some liquid refreshment, but keep your wallet close as wily gamblers have been known to frequent the saloon. There are plenty of hands-on activities to keep kids, young and old, entertained including gold panning, tin punching, coopering and a plethora of children's games. And, if you work up an appetite with all this activity, stop by the Gold Rush BBQ for sustenance. Coloma Gold Rush Live! is made possible thanks to our partnership with the Gold Discovery Park Association, the cooperating association at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. Proceeds from the event will help fund future educational programs at the park. Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park is the site of Sutter's Mill, where, in 1848, James W. Marshall found shining flecks of gold in the tailrace of the sawmill. The discovery sparked the California Gold Rush. The consequent influx of people from all over the world propelled California into statehood within two years of the discovery and of the United States taking possession of the area that became California. Admission to the event is $20 per vehicle. For more information call (530) 622-3470 or visit www.parks.ca.gov/marshallgold. Note: This is a dog-free event except for service dogs. Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park is located in Coloma, on Highway 49, between Placerville and Auburn, one hour from Sacramento.