South Lake Tahoe's Western Days to start off the 74th annual Wagon Train

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The 2nd annual Western Days starts in South Lake Tahoe on Saturday, June 3, followed by the start of the 74th annual Wagon Train on Sunday, June 4, 2023

Western Days will be held at the Lake Tahoe Historical Museum Complex in South Lake Tahoe on Saturday, June 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be food and beverage, vendors of western wear, jewelry, nuts and treats, pony and carriage rides, and more.

Tours will be available at the Lake Tahoe Historical Museum and historic cabin and the 1860 Toll House will have the front door open so people can peek inside as LTHS restores this historic building (entry is not available at this time).

The Cash Only Band and Whiskey Wolves will each have a two-hour set between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., followed by historian and author David Woodruff who will be sharing stories from the television show Bonanza (sing-a-long included).

Ongoing will be the Hangtown Marshals, pony rides, and carriage rides, along with kids' activities at the museum.

For those interested in vendor opportunities, contact Paula Peterson at tahoepaula@sbcglobal.net.

The Highway 50 Association was formed in 1946 at a meeting at Whitehall where resort owners and businessmen from the American River Canyon and the South Shore were. They put money together to promote the first highway in the state. Highway 50 at one time was called Highway 1.

The canyon was not only the route of gold miners heading east to the silver mines in Virginia City, but also the Overland Stage, pioneer stagecoaches, Snowshoe Thompson, the Pony Express, and then the first overland telegraph line from Placerville to Carson City.

That meeting resulted in what was going to be a one-time-only Wagon Train to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Gold Rush in 1949. Many locals and visitors wanted the wagon train to return again, so in 1951 there was a second event. The Hwy 50 Association was formed and the wagons and trains have been riding through the Sierra ever since. Some years it started as far east as Virginia City and ended as far west in Sacramento, but South Lake Tahoe, Pollock Pines-Camino, and Placerville have been the mainstays of the trip. In recent decades, Placerville would celebrate the end of the Wagon Train with a parade and celebration, but there was been no sendoff celebration in South Lake Tahoe, until now.

LTHS hopes to keep bringing Western Days back for all to enjoy.

The Western Days celebration at the museum complex is for one day, then on Sunday, June 4, the Wagon Train takes off from Round Hill and will be stopping for lunch at the museum. The horses and wagons move about 3 mph, so 11 a.m. to noon is the expected lunch break. Everyone is welcome to stop by and meet the horses and riders. Parking is best at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center, or walk/ride bikes over.

The Lake Tahoe Historical Museum Complex is located at 3058 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe. There will be no onsite parking available Saturday and attendees will be directed to park at the SLT Recreation Center.

For more on the Wagon Train, visit https://www.hwy50wagontrain.com/.