A tent city filled with settlers has sprung up once again on the banks of the Sacramento River. And the Sacramento Rangers of the 2nd California Cavalry are patrolling dirt streets on horseback.

Turning back the clock for Old Sacramento's Gold Rush Days took a little behind-the-scenes preparation. Economic hardship brought on by the continuing recession inspired quite a few people to volunteer their time to help ready the 28-acre state historic park for the annual event.

With the budget down from the average $125,000 to $80,000 this year, organizers — the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), the city of Sacramento and other entities — weren't able to hire as many people and had to make reductions in other areas as well.

"I think everybody understood it's the economy," said Mike Testa, vice president for communications and public affairs for the Sacramento CVB. "It was a team effort that made this event work this year."

Gold Rush Days, running Friday through Monday, is held to celebrate the city's heritage. The event also brings in an estimated $2 million to the local economy. Not holding Gold Rush Days was never an option, he said. The Labor Day Weekend event has run each year since 2000, and was inspired by a similar event called the Second Great Gold Rush held in 1998.

Preparations began Wednesday, when shade structures and cooking stations were erected.

Thursday morning, eight people from the Sacramento Rangers living history group brought in their horses and began setting up "dog" tents at Camp Union. Mike Paisley, a sergeant with the Red Bluff County Sheriff's Department, said he and at least nine other uniformed rangers will live at the camp in Waterfront Park throughout Gold Rush Days.

Merchants and other living history re-enactors — a pharmacist, lacemaker, sarsaparilla maker and more — established a canvas tent city on the other end of Front Street. Sacramento Ballroom Society President Robert Barcheld built a shaded, 800-square-foot wooden dance floor, where the group will teach and perform historical dances, including a mazurka waltz and set dances from the 1850s.

Once the area had closed down Thursday night, Old Sacramento's Park Supervisor Tom Thornton directed city workers, volunteers and contract crews, as well as a brigade of eight dump trucks, flatbed trucks, bulldozers and other equipment. The work began by 10 p.m. and continued all night.

Retired city Parks Supervisor Ron Giarmona, who once oversaw preparation for Gold Rush Days, was one of the people who returned to volunteer. He helped coordinate some of the Don Robson Grading & Paving dump trucks and truck drivers who began laying 200 tons of dirt and decomposed granite down on the streets at about midnight.

Other people distributed 450 bales of hay throughout the area. Contractor Terry Debencik and two others spent the night covering about 250 signs and parking meters.

Past sponsors, who finance most of the four-day event, continued to back Gold Rush Days this year. But at least two had to kick in less, said Testa, whose organization also contributes financially.

About 120,000 people are expected to come to the four-day event. Some area hotels are more than 90 percent occupied, he said. Visitors will also spend money on parking, food, souvenirs and gas.

This year, sponsors won't be able to underwrite free admission to the California State Railroad Museum and the Sacramento History Museum. However, the two museums are offering admission to both for the price of one.

The carriages and wagons rented from a Gold Country and a horse wrangler will be a bit less grand this year, Testa said.

"We hope some of the expenses we had to decrease won't be visible to the public," he said.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

To read more about the events of Gold Rush Days, click here.