Third annual Western Days celebration coming to South Lake Tahoe with wagon train, kids games, music and more

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Imagine being at Lake Tahoe in 1860 as those wanting to strike it rich in Virginia City with silver passed through the South Shore on their journey.

Many had left the gold fields in the Sierra foothills, where gold had been discovered just over a decade before silver was discovered to their east. Their trip took about ten days with horses and wagons.

Now, 165 years later, the Lake Tahoe Historical Society is holding its third annual Western Days to celebrate those early travelers, those who stayed, and the lives they lived. 

On Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, the revered Mark Twain performer McAvoy Lane, celebrated Chautauquans David and Gayle Woodruff as James and Margret Reed of the Donner Party, music by Doug Schwartz and the Whiskey Wolves band, and entertainment by the Hangtown Marshals. 

There will be tours of the History Museum, the 1930s Log Cabin, and the restoration progress on the Osgood Toll House, and hands-on activities from days gone by for children.

All activities are free of charge and family-friendly, thanks to a grant from the City of South Lake Tahoe. There is something for everyone to enjoy. 

Two dozen vendors will be selling their wares, and Chicken in a Barrel will have their BBQ, Hawaiian Ice (it’s going to be hot), and acai bowls. Beer will also be available.

We said “days,” so what is happening the next day, you ask?

The Wagon Train’s 76th anniversary is celebrated starting on June 1. They will be leaving the Round Hill shopping center parking lot, making their way through South Lake Tahoe, and they will pull into the museum parking lot for lunch around noon.

Stop by and chat with the riders and visit the horses as they begin their week-long trek to Placerville, just as people did in the 1800s. 

The Lake Tahoe Historical Society’s museum complex is located at 3058 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe. 

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