HELENA — Have you ever wondered what it's like to be one of Helena's early settlers – panning for gold or making your own butter?
You can have some of these experiences this weekend during Helena's third annual Gold Rush Days.
"It's a story of resilience," said Zach Coe, the program director for The Foundation For Montana History. "There was prosperity, sure, because people were becoming millionaires overnight, and that was the dream of the West that people were finding right here, but it wasn't easy."
The weekend of over 20 events started on Thursday with a ribbon cutting for the opening of The Foundation for Montana History's Helena History Tours brick-and-mortar location in Reeder's Alley.
The office is in the same place where long-time Montana historian Ellen Baumler did her work.
Coe said, "We wouldn't want to be anywhere else, and it came together pretty quickly that this was the space for us."
Can Can dancers, old-timey photos by Montana Picture Gallery, and self-guided tours of the Pioneer Cabin are a few of the festivities this weekend.
These events will continue through Friday and Saturday, including ceramic painting, a kid's gold nugget hunt, and rag doll DIY.
"For me, I think being able to understand and ground our history and knowing it in a very localized way is helpful for us," said Marisa Diaz-Waian, the owner and director of Merlin CCC, one of the organizers of the event. "Actually, being good humans in the present and understanding how to move forward in the future."
Gold Rush Days not only digs deep into Helena's mining history but also celebrates how we got to where we are today by exploring the history of different cultures in our community.
Thursday features a Chinese history talk at the Lewis and Clark Library, and Saturday includes stories from our elders at Helena Indian Alliance.
"It was a really diverse place filled with a variety of people who brought their own culture and their own ways of life and outlooks on things to this place," said Coe.
You won't have to settle like the pioneers if you need a break from the festivities - there are plenty of options for food and liquid gold, including live music.
To find the full schedule of events going on this weekend, visit goldrushdaysmt.com.
