California Trail Days – Saturday Events

Event Details

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Join us for the Annual Trail Days Event in Elko, Nevada. The theme this year is “Rhythm of the Trail” We’ll have live music from many varying artists and styles from the familiar folk music of Southwind to the beat of the Eagle Warriors Drum Group. Come see the 1800s Wagon Encampment and Shoshone Summer Camp. See living history demonstrations – Pioneer and Native American culture come to life! Experience historic displays, special presentations, and fun for the whole family. Free and open to everyone.

California Trail Days Programs – Saturday, May 19

10 a.m. South Fork Room: Legends, Lies and Lore of the American West

The history of the American West is often intertwined with mythology. Many of the myths make colorful stories, but inaccurate history. Join former Trail Center Manager Dave Jamiel as he separates fact from fiction with many prominent legends, lies and lore of the American West.

11 a.m. Lobby:  The Anatomy of a Wagon:  How a Wagon Works

Wagons were indispensable for thousands of emigrants. Join Frank Tortorich to learn how a wagon works. Tortorich is a historian, author, and member of the California Trail Heritage Alliance.

12:30 p.m., Lobby:  Frontier Music with Hank Cramer

Hank Cramer is one of the best-loved folksingers in the American West. He is widely known for his booming bass voice, smooth picking on a vintage flat-top guitar, and his wry sense of humor. He has a repertoire of over a thousand modern and traditional songs, spanning the genres of Celtic, Appalachian, maritime, cowboy, and plain old folk music.

1:00 p.m., Lobby: Shoshone and Paiute songs with Gayleen Roy

Gayleen Roy is a Paiute Shoshone singer from Yerington, Nevada. Follow along as she sings traditional lullabies, hand game, circle dance, and flag songs.

2:00 p.m., Shoshone Summer Camp:  Eagle Warriors Youth Drum

The Eagle Warriors Youth Drum is a drumming group from Owyhee, Nevada. The students, from Owyhee Combined School, began drumming as part of an afterschool activity in the spring of 2016, with the help of local elder, Elena Atkins, and facilitator Colene Paradise.

The group started with a handful of Native American teens, and now grown to over a dozen, including their younger peers. They premiered at a national conference in the fall of 2016 in Reno to an audience of about 500. 

3:00 p.m., Lobby:  Tule Duck Decoys

Tule duck decoys were used in Nevada for centuries. Mike Williams, a member of the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone tribe, will demonstrate how to make a female tule duck decoy.

Williams is a member of the Nevada Arts Council and is a recipient of the Nevada Governor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Folk Arts.

7:00 p.m., Campfire: Shoshone Fireside Stories with Andrea Woods

Listen to Shoshone legends such as why the Coyote has amber eyes and why the blue jay has black feet.