Living History

August events open with a Chautauqua of Calamity Jane and a presentation on Tales Along El Camino Sierra at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park.

On Wednesday, August 4, at 6:30 pm, Chautauquan Kim Harris will present “Calamity Jane: Heroine of the Plains”.

Perhaps no woman embodies the spirit of the Western expansion more than Martha Jane Canary better known as “Calamity Jane”. She challenged society’s standards of behavior for women, and at the same time was admired for her generosity, honesty and lack of pretentiousness.

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August closes with a Chautauqua presentation “Sisters of the Sage” which will highlight the lives of Annie H. Martin, Lillian V. Finnegan and Anna N. Harris at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Wednesday, August 28, at 6:30 pm.

These three influential women from the early days of Nevada will meet to reminisce about their early lives, the suffrage movement and their accomplishments as women, in both Carson Valley and Carson City.

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Early June events launch the 2019 Summer Festival at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park.

On Saturday, June 1, at 10:00 am, Wendell Huffman, Curator of History at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, will speak on the history of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad in Carson Valley, as well as the 150th Anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. This is a free event.

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Chautauquan and noted local historian Michael Fischer will portray “Heinrich Friedrich Dangberg, Sr.” in a free presentation at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Saturday, August 4, at 10:00 am.

H. F. Dangberg, Sr. helped to shape the agricultural and livestock history of Carson Valley. Beginning with 160 acres in 1856, Dangberg built an empire of ranches and farms that covered over 30,000 acres by 1902 when he formed the H. F. Dangberg Land & Live Stock Company. Some of the irrigation ditches, canals and reservoirs he dug are still in use today.

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Young Chautauquans of the Douglas County Historical Society will present “Home Means Nevada” at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Wednesday, June 27, at 6:30 pm.

The Douglas County Historical Society Young Chautauqua presenters are 6 year old Samuel portraying “Claire Vance”, 5 year old Levi portraying “Abraham Curry”, 9 year old Rain portraying “Charley Parkhurst”, 11 year old Miciah portraying “George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.”, 16 year old Sandia portraying “Bessie Johnson”, 11 year old Adalee portraying “Tracy Knight” and 10 year old Mamre portraying “Benjamin Siegel”.

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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Tahoe Heritage Foundation is holding their 33rd annual Great Gatsby Festival at the Tallac Historic Site on Saturday and Sunday, August 12 and 13.

Join them in the celebration of the rip roaring '20s with events including guided living history tours, vintage automobiles, historical talks, games, activities, food and drink, silent auction and raffle, merchandise to purchase and much more.

From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, the free event will be open to the public.

Doug Watson will portray legendary humorist “Will Rogers”, at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Wednesday, July 12, at 6:30 pm.

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The featured tellers at this year’s event are Willy Claflin, world music percussion band The Batamba Collective, Mother Lode Storytelling Guild tellers Linda Kennedy and Joan McCammon, and chautauquan Larry Lippmann as “Hank Monk”. The weekend also features early afternoon shows specifically for families and children, an open mic storytelling concert and a storytelling group Carson Valley Memories led by Nancy Raven.

Saturday, June 24 starts at 1:00pm with a Family Concert with Willy Claflin. Clafliin is a nationally recognized teller. Check out his website at http://www.willyclaflin.com/

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Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Exhibition comes to the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Saturday, August 27, beginning at 11:00 am.

The Grand March & Opening Ceremony will feature the Douglas High School Marching Band, the 1st Nevada Cavalry Co. D. along with bugler Ray Ahrenholz, and a cast of celebrities and presenters. Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins will sing the “Star-Spangled Banner” for the Opening Ceremony and the Closing Ceremony will feature Krista Jenkins singing "America the Beautiful".

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Ever since I moved to South Lake Tahoe two months ago to work at Tallac Historic Site, I have been surprised daily to discover how few locals know the historic site exists. Tallac is located next to Camp Richardson and Fallen Leaf Lake Campground – an area most folks are familiar with – and yet locals constantly wander onto the site from the beach and announce they had no idea this place was here.

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The weekend of July 23 and 24 the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park will feature two days of Dangberg family history with a Chautauqua on Fred Dangberg, Jr. and a presentation by his real life grandson Steve “Dink” Achard. Both presentations are free.

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The Town of Genoa, Nevada, announced today that the seventh annual Genoa Cowboy Festival will take place in their town from April 28 through May 1. Previous Cowboy Festivals have attracted thousands of visitors to the picturesque community which is recognized as Nevada’s oldest town, just minutes from South Lake Tahoe.

This year’s event will feature performances by some of the best-known entertainers in Western music and cowboy poetry, including Ian Tyson, Wylie & and Wild West, Mike Beck, Richard Elloyan, Trinity Seely, Andy Hedges, Larry Maurice, and many more.

Nevada Gunfighters will be performing in a free presentation at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Saturday, September 26, at 10:00 am.
Nevada Gunfighters bring the old West to life with drama, comedy, historical portrayals and live action tales. Period dialog and authentic costumes, along with props and backdrops enhance their productions. As an added benefit to their presentations, the audience is educated in gun safety.

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There is just one day left to enjoy the Nevada State Fair at Carson City's Fuji Park. The fair has been a four day event featuring agriculture, carnival, evening entertainment and community showcase.

Dozens of vendor will at the fair, providing food, drink and product and local information.

Sunday's schedule of events:

Carnival from noon to 11 p.m.
Nevada Civil War Volunteers Living History Camp from noon to 7 p.m.
Cook's Racing Pigs from noon to 9 p.m.
Swan Brother's Circus from noon to closing
Beer Garden from noon to closing
Entertainment from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Step back in time to the 1920's to spend an afternoon with Anita Baldwin, the daughter of the infamous Lucky Baldwin.

"Afternoon with Anita" is held on just three Wednesdays this summer: July 15, July 29 and August 19 at 1 p.m. at the Tallac Historic Site.

Join the Tallac Heritage Foundation for some light refreshments while she tells you stories of the Tallac Casino and Resort.

Tickets are $10 per person. Call (530) 541-5227 for reservations.

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Families, art and music lovers, and history buffs can expect a spectacular season of entertainment on the shore of Lake Tahoe at this year’s Valhalla Arts, Music & Theatre Festival, June 17 – August 26, 2015. Free music on the lawn, boot stomping roots music in a 1920’s boathouse, classic theatre productions, outdoor art camps for kids, cultural dance performances and fine art shows are some of the many highlights that await 2015 festival goers. Tickets are on sale now at ValhallaTahoe.com.

The California State Parks and the Sierra State Parks Foundation will again be hosting Living History Day at Pine Lodge, a celebration of the anniversary of the lodge also known as the Ehrman Mansion, at Sugar Pine Point State Park on July 26, 2014, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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