On the corner of J and 2nd Streets, a man with a sheriff's star and gun holster slung around his waist cupped his hands and loudly announced, "Citizens of Sacramento! The mayor of Sacramento has an announcement!"

If you were expecting Kevin Johnson to address the growing crowd of bystanders, you were sure to be disappointed. Saturday's Gold Rush Days hosted plenty of important Sacramentans, circa 1850.

The free four-day event took over Old Sacramento with 200 tons of dirt and about 200 reenactors in 1850s-style garb.

Attendees milled around the Embarcadero Tent City, a field of canvas tents that featured 1850 institutions such as a blacksmith, lace-maker, tinsmith, dentist, Mormon battalion, the justice of peace and the "Stinking Tent Saloon," where thirsty patrons could purchase root beer and its original predecessor, sarsaparilla.

"It tastes just like root beer, but with a stronger kick," said one "barmaid" after taking a swig.

The tent city offered a variety of characters that offered up detailed accounts of their lives. Samuel Brannan, who proudly distinguished himself as California's first millionaire, chatted with those who stopped by the Mormon battalion tent about his part in the Gold Rush, the Mormon immigrant trail and how he became one of the state's wealthiest men.

Sophie Flaherty, a a volunteer with Sacramento Living History — an organization that participates in events to educate about, promote and revive Old Sacramento — said many people dress in period costume to take on a persona of someone who actually existed in the 1850s.

"If I were to be in costume, I would be a woman who sells cats," said contemporary-dressed Flaherty. "But I would get into my character too much, and would miss all the great events going on."

Embarcadero Tent City was only the beginning of what Gold Rush Days had in store for its participants. On the corner of K Street and Firehouse Alley were two large roped-off sections where groups such as The Blue Canyon Gang and Sierra Nevada Guns for Hire treated viewers with Old West reenactments of bar scenes and gunfights.

One performance dubbed "Squatters Riot" pitted the sheriff and mayor of Sacramento against the squatters who threatened, according to the sheriff, to "take our land and disrupt our way of life." A shoot-out occurred between the two camps, with the sheriff and his band of followers ending up as the last men standing.

The Eagle Theater, at the corner of J and Front streets, played authentic Gold Rush-era films and also hosted events such as a Gold Rush Era fashion show, a lecture on the history of California and music in the Gold Rush era.

One event that consistently drew busy crowds was gold-panning. Adults and children flocked to the waist-high troughs of water and sand to mine as much of the precious metal as possible. They then brought their finds to the adjacent "Adams Company Bank" where they could exchange their treasure for paper currency.

"It's [Paper currency is] safer than carrying gold around in your pocket — no one will rob you," said Ashley Sianez, a fourth-year participant in Gold Rush Days. "It also teaches about the gold mining experience. You couldn't just mine a ton of gold and become immediately rich, and most people mined small amounts and then spent whatever amount they made. We're kind of mimicking the reality of it."

The day concluded with a Johnny Cash tribute band playing favorites to a crowd of 100, such as "Folsom Prison Blues" and "Ring of Fire," on the Save Mart Stage. The nostalgic tunes seemed a fitting end to a day that celebrated California's past in impressive detail.

"[Gold Rush Days] provides a look back then," Flaherty said. "It facilitates a deep appreciation for what it was like back then, and perhaps helps to evaluate how one looks at our current time now."
 

Sacramento Gold Rush Days runs until Sept. 9. For more information, click here.