September 1st, 2013 Ron's mom and dad came out for a couple days to visit. It just so happened to be Labor day weekend which meant the Gold Rush festival was going on in Old Sacramento. We actually hadn't been to the Gold Rush festival since we moved here but we love going to Old Sac for any reason.
The gold rush is an important part of Sacramento's history. Since many of the buildings in Old Sac are of that time period they completely transform the area to look like a scene from the 1800's. They line the streets with dirt and have actors and actresses dressed in attire from that era. Local Native American tribes will come and perform demonstrations and share some of their traditions and stories.
Street performers of all kinds lined the walkways. Some with hay bales around for seats. The boys liked playing on those.
They also had some historical reenactment performances and covered wagon rides. I loved seeing the horses. There are so many fun things to see!
Despite the festival going on there are a select few stores that we always visit when we come to Old Sac. Fries from the Spud Shack and treats from Candy Heaven are among our favorites. We had to share them with Abuela and Abuelo. So yummy!
We had such a good time that day. We loved looking around at all there was to see and Ron's mom and dad really enjoyed watching all the people dressed up in costume.
Ron and I were able to get some early Christmas shopping done(we're so sneaky) and Jaxen was so excited to finally have saved enough of his allowance to add to his Super Mario plushie collection.
All in all I would say it was a successful day. We didn't know there was a festival going on that day when we decided to go there. It sure did add to the fun though. Now that we know about the Gold Rush festival we are going to look forward to next years. But I'm sure we'll be back to Old Sac before then.
There's always a good reason to come back! A perfect way to spend the day as a family. I sure love them.
