Wickenburg Gold Rush Days turns 75 this month

The 75th Annual Gold Rush Days is making its way back to Wickenburg.

The event celebrates the town’s origins as a ranching and gold mining center in the days before Phoenix was founded. The heritage event was founded 75 years ago, and today Gold Rush Days draws tens of thousands of visitors during the three-and-a-half days of activities.

Festivities begin at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8 with a carnival in the downtown district. The official opening gets underway with opening ceremonies at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 9 on Frontier Street. Gold Rush officials and western entertainers will be kicking off the event.

A classic car show will be on display from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.

The main festival area on Valentine Street in the historic district will see 150 exhibitors at the Wickenburg Art Club artisan fair & juried art show, the carnival, free stage entertainment, gold panning, 150 arts and crafts vendors, and more from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the carnival running throughout the evening.

On Friday evening, get tickets to see the Texas Tenors on their 15th anniversary tour at the Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts. The group will feature their harmony of country, classical, Broadway and contemporary music. Tickets available online at dewpac.org or by calling 928-684-6624.

The parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10 with more than 75 entries including dozens of horses, classic automobiles, floats, marching bands, and youth groups participating.

The first performance of the National Senior Professional Rodeo & Open Rough Stock will take place at 2 p.m. at the Everett Bowman Arena, 935 Constellation Road, just one mile east of the downtown area. Gates open at noon. Rodeo tickets available at wickenburgchamber.com, at the Wickenburg Visitor Center, or at the gate on the day of the event (note: cash only at the gate).

Rodeo ticket pricing is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors $15, and students and kids are free.

On Sunday, activities include the artisan fair, arts and crafts vendors, the carnival, rodeo performance, gold panning, a mucking and drilling contest, and the gold panning championship, where contestants compete for money and prizes while panning for gold. The second performance of the Senior Pro Rodeo takes place at 2 p.m.