"Add a Little Southwest Flair to Your Life"

This event celebrates the town’s origins as a ranching & gold mining center in the days before there was a Phoenix.  The heritage event was founded 60 years ago, and today Gold Rush Days draws tens of thousands of visitors, during the three days of activities. 

Festivities begin on Thursday, February 11, with a Western Hat Rendezvous lunch on Frontier Street with the gals from Buckshot Babes from 12noon-2pm; followed by the Family Fun Carnival opening at 4:00 p.m., in the downtown district.  Joining us in Wickenburg for special performances is”Nashville artist Marty Stuart & his Fabulous Superlatives” who will appear in concert on Thursday and Friday Night at 7:30 p.m., at the Del E. Webb Center for Performing Arts.

The official opening gets underway on Friday, February 12 with the Opening Ceremonies on Frontier Street at 10:00 a.m. with gunfights, and gold rush officials kicking off the event. Friday is the only day you will be able to see beautiful classic cars on Frontier Street from 9am -3 p.m.  The main festival area on Valentine Street in the historic district will see 200 arts/crafts exhibitors, a family fun carnival, photography exhibit, art show, free stage entertainment, and much more from 9:00 a.m. – 5 p.m., with the carnival running throughout the evening.   One of the highlights on Friday is the first show of the Desert Stagers old fashioned melodrama, held in the historic Saguaro Theatre at 7:00 p.m., nightly throughout the celebration. 

The parade on Saturday at 10:00 a.m., is one of the largest in Arizona, with over 100 entries including 1,000 horses, classic auto’s, floats, marching bands, and youth groups participating.  Spectators line the street as one of the largest parades in Arizona passes by. 

The parade theme is: “Steers & Stripes” with Arizona Highways Television Host Robin Sewell as the grand marshal.   On Saturday the main event activities are the same, but include the additions of a Western Barbeque, and the first performance of the Senior Professional Rodeo held at 2:00 p.m. at the Everett Bowman Arena, located off of Constellation Road, just one mile east of the downtown area. Admission is $10 adults, $8 seniors, $6 students, children $3, and under 5 Free. Gates open at Noon. Again this year is the addition of the Grand Canyon PRCA Rough Stock to the rodeo.  On Saturday night, the popular “Arizona Outlaws” is the band playing on Saturday night inside the Wickenburg Community Center from 8:30 p.m. –Midnight for the Gold Rush Days rodeo dance with great music. Admission is $8 / $15 couple

Sunday, the activities include the arts/crafts area, gold panning, family carnival, rodeo performance, melodrama, and special day events such as the Young Life Pancake Breakfast at 7:30 am – 11 am inside the Community Center; traditional Mining events - Mucking & Drilling Contest at 10:00 a.m. where contestants compete for money and prizes and spectators can bid in a Calcutta Auction for a contestant; and the Arizona Gold Panning Championship, where contestants compete for money and prizes while panning for gold starts at 1:00 p.m.  The second performance of the Senior Pro Rodeo is at 2 p.m.

This annual celebration is one of the Signature Heritage events for Wickenburg, and was named recently as Arizona’s Best Special Rural Event by the Arizona Office of Tourism.  This event was also in the Library of Congress, named as one of America’s Living Legacies.  For more Information, and tickets call (928) 684-5479 or visit the event on www.wickenburgchamber.com. Tickets for the Webb Center concert call 928-684-6624 

62^nd ANNUAL GOLD RUSH DAYS CELEBRATION & RODEO

                                                       HISTORIC WICKENBURG, ARIZONA

                                                        FEBRUARY 11-14, 2010

                            Sponsored by THE WICKENBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & PARD’NERS!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11^TH

10:30 a.m. Open House at Wickenburg/Boetto House.  The Estrella Chapter (Sun City West/Surprise) Daughters of the American Revolution will be raising the American Flag in honor of Henry Wickenburg.

12noon-2PM  BUCKSHOT BABES LUNCH RENDEZVOUS @ Store Location on Frontier Street

5:00 P.M.  OPENING NIGHT FAMILY CARNIVAL -special wrist band price

7:30 P.M.  DEL E. WEBB CENTER Presents: “Marty Stuart & Fabulous Superlatives”$45Adults

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12th

  9:00 A.M. –3 P.M.   CLASSIC CAR SHOW – FRONTIER STREET

  9:00 A.M. – 5: P.M. WICKENBURG ART CLUB – ARTS/CRAFTS EXHIBITS- Library & Stone Park

                                    ARTS/CRAFTS/FAMILY CARNIVAL & More!

                                    160 N. Valentine Street-Historic District – Wickenburg Community Center

10:00 A.M.                 OPENING CEREMONIES –Gold Rush Officials – Gun Fights ”BitterCreek Outlaws

                                    On historic Frontier Street in front of the Chamber Office – Historic Santa Fe Depot

11:00 A.M.                 SENIOR PRO RODEO SLACK – Everett Bowman Rodeo Arena

12Noon-5PM             GOLD PANNING

  7:00 P.M.                  DESERT STAGERS MELODRAMA- SAGUARO THEATRE

  7:30 P.M.                    “Marty Stuart Concert” @ The Webb Center – 2^nd Performance

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13^th

 9:00 A.M. – 5 P.M.   WICKENBURG ART CLUB ARTS/CRAFTS EXHIBITS

                                     CHAMBER ARTS/CRAFTS-FAMILY CARNIVAL

 9:00  A.M.                  ARIZONA GUNSLINGERS –GUN FIGHTS ON FRONTIER STREET

10:00 A.M.                  GOLD RUSH PARADE –Sponsored by Cox Communications

                                     Parade Theme: “Steers & Stripes!”  - 4^th Largest Parade in AZ     

11:00 A.M.                  WICKENBURG SADDLE CLUB BBQ-Community Center-$7-$4 Child

11AM-5 PM                GOLD PANNING

  2:00 P.M.                  SENIOR PRO & GCPRA RODEO – EVERETT BOWMAN ARENA

                                     Admission: $10 adults; $8 Seniors (60+) $6 Student (13-18)

                                     Child $3 (5-12) Under 5 – FREE (Gates open at 12 Noon)

  7:00 P.M.                  DESERT STAGERS MELODRAMA – SAGUARO THEATRE

  8:30 P.M.                  GOLD RUSH RODEO DANCE with ‘THE ARIZONA OUTLAWS”

 MIDNIGHT                             $8-$15 couple– No Host Bar –Community Center                          

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14^TH

  7:00–11:00A.M.        PANCAKE BREAKFAST – YOUNG LIFE-Community Center

  10:00 A.M. – 5PM    WICKENBURG ART CLUB ARTS/CRAFTS/

 10:00 A.M. - 5P.M.    CHAMBER ARTS & CRAFTS, FAMILY CARNIVAL,

                                      FREE STAGE ENTERTAINEMENT, PHOTO DISPLAY & MUCH MORE!

 10:00 A.M.                  MUCKING & DRILLING CONTEST – FESTIVAL AREA

 10AM-4PM                GOLD PANNING

   1:00 P.M.                  CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD PANNING CONTEST

   2:00 P.M.                  SENIOR PRO & GCPRA RODEO – Everett Bowman Arena

   7:00 P.M.                  DESERT STAGERS MELODRAMA – SAGUARO THEATRE

MELODRAMA, RODEO & WESTERN DANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE CHAMBER

                         1-800-942-5242 – WWW.WICKENBURGCHAMBER.COM

 *Concert Tickets for Marty Stuart sold only from THE Webb Center Box Office

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