About Victor Colorado

Victor, Colorado

Quick facts

Elevation: 9,780

Population: 455

Statutory city

Platted: 1893

2008 applications

Gold Rush Days Vendor Info
Gold Rush Days Vendor Application
Battle of the Bands
Gold Rush Days Parade Info & Applications
Gravity Race Info
Quilt Contest

Contact Numbers:

John Fowler – 719-689-5818

Sue Kochevar 719-250-2575

Glori Thurston 719-689-3601

Hand Steeling at the Mining Games

Gold Rush Days

Gold Rush Days 2008 will be held July 18, 19. 20, sponsored by the Victor Elks Lodge #367.

The event will kick off Friday evening with a chili feed and bingo at the Elks Lodge and entertainment at the local bars. Saturday will feature the vendors selling again in the Elks parking area and the CC&V Mining games in the parking lot below the Elks.

Saturday from 11-4 tickets will also be on sale for the popular Historic Home & Building Tours.

Saturday morning the Victor Fire Department will serve some of their great breakfast burritos and other goodies at the Fire Station.

Both days the Victor Museum will offer gold panning for all ages - learn how to pan and find real gold.

If you have questions or want to participate in some part of the festival, please see the contact info at left.

The History of Gold Rush Days

1895 -2007

Victor, Colorado

Gold Rush Days actually started in 1895 as the “World Celebration” and honored Victor C. Adams, one of Victor’s original settlers, and the man Victor was named after. Because mining moved into the area and changed the face of the town, the celebration was next billed as the “Annual Miners Reunion” and consisted of a carnival and street parade.

The miners Reunion continued until 1899 when a fire destroyed most of downtown Victor and some of the surrounding residential areas. Following the fire, the next celebration was in 1904. Ringling Brothers was the featured attraction. They set up their “big top” at the corner of Fourth Street and Victor Avenue. The famous picture of the tight-wire walker balancing on the wire above a street full of people is said to have been taken during this celebration. The population of Victor was approximately 8,000 people at that time.

The celebration continued uninterrupted until WWI when the celebration was stopped for two years. After the war, it started up again in 1918. The main attractions at that time were the hard rock drilling contests and the timed races of all the fire departments in the district.

After WWII the name changed to Gold Rush Days. During this period, Lowell Thomas, Governor Ralph Carr and other dignitaries came to ride in the parade and enjoy the fun with the Victor residents.

Gold Rush Days has continued uninterrupted since it claimed that name after WWII. The size of the festival has fluctuated from year-to-year. Some years, rain has been a factor in keeping the crowd small. Other years, Victor citizens just didn’t feel much like celebrating as they anxiously awaited news from men who was fighting in yet another war.

Gold Rush Days Schedule

July 18, 19, 20, 2008

Schedule still being planned - check back

for a complete list of fun

Friday – July 18^th

1 pm- 5 pm -Vendors checking in at Claim Jumper 106 N. 3rd

5 pm – Chili Feed at Victor’s Elks Lodge

7 pm – Bingo at Victor’s Elks Lodge

8 pm – Karaoke – Sally’s Bar

9 pm - Blue Grass Band, Travelin, playing at the Elks Lodge

Saturday – July 19^th

7am – 11 am – Pancake breakfast at Victor’s Fire Station provided by Victor’s Volunteer Fire Dept.

8:30 am – Registration for Mining Games (CC&V Parking Lot)

9 am – Mining Games Begin (Prizes awarded)

9 am – 5pm Quilt show at Victor Elks

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Pan for real gold at the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum

10:30 am – Exhibition Soccer Games (Gold Bowl)

11am – 3 pm – Historic Home Tour - Tickets available at the Victor Hotel, Nana’s Attic, The Fortune Club and Claim Jumper

1:30 pm – Watermelon Feed at Wallace Park courtesy from Venture Foods

6 pm – Street Dance corner of Victor Ave and 3^rd Street

Sunday – July 20^th

7 am– 11 am – Pancake breakfast at Victor’s Fire Station provided by Victor’s Volunteer Fire Department

9 am – 4 pm – Vendors open

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Pan for real gold at the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum

12:30 - Gold Rush Days Parade

Throughout Saturday and Sunday – Old Time Medicine Show, Music, Mirth and Magic – Professor Leo Picatune Victor Elks Lodge Porch Sunday (before and after parade) – Barber Shop Quartet

For participation in any event, please contact Sue at 719-250-2575 or Glori at 719-689-3601