Gold Rush Days Excites With Main Street Showdown
Nevada Gunfighters joined a program of mining talks, demonstrations, and music.
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Features of the 2026 Gold Rush Days event in Downieville.
DOWNIEVILLE — Gold Rush Days returned September 18 through 20, with a staged Main Street showdown between drunken outlaws and women bounty hunters among the weekend’s attractions.
In the Nevada Gunfighters’ skit, outlaws got drunk at St. Charles Place on Main Street and killed a character who had been agitating them. The scene ended after women bounty hunters gunned down the outlaws.
Saturday’s high noon gallows tour was another popular feature. Sierra County Supervisor and former Sheriff Lee Adams discussed the history of the Downieville Gallows, including the 1885 hanging of James O’Neill for murder.
Comstock Gold Prospectors of Reno, Nevada, Discover Downieville, and HWY 49 Adventures presented the festival. The program included riverfront gold panning, a vendor market at the Downieville Community Hall, and chainsaw carving demonstrations by Ricky Magiera of Tiny Bear Carving.
The Yuba Theatre speaker lineup included Lucia Patterson, David Lawler, Rick Solinsky, Ray Mills, Jason Foreman, Larry Schack, and Tami Force, with subjects ranging from mining claims and gold detectors to eastern Sierra ghost towns. Foreman’s Tavern Talks series was also on the program.
Evening music was hosted at St. Charles Place, with Old Soles, the duo of Masha and Geff Crawford, on Friday and a solo acoustic set by Chris Hescock on Saturday. Sunday’s schedule began with a community pancake breakfast at the Masonic Hall, Tin Cup, and Diggins Park area.