In addition to the age-old traditions of hand mucking and axe throwing, this year’s Juneau Gold Rush Days is adding a bouncy house and Pajama Cat Sharks.
The 31st annual event at Savikko Park on this weekend will also feature a beer garden both days this year, each day sponsored by a different local brewery. The gathering that traditionally attracts thousands of people also has a new logo, website and merchandise.
In addition to the old-time sounds of mining and logging activities during the multitude of competitions, a new form of noise on Saturday will be heard from the Pajama Cat Sharks, an acoustic band formed by three people involved in last year’s event.
“One of the players is a Coeur Alaska employee, another sang the national anthem last year and the third helped with the sound equipment last year,” said Rochelle Lindley, a Gold Rush Days board member, and community and government affairs manager for Coeur Alaska. “We sort of had the connections from the previous year and this year they have their own band, so we thought why not let them play.”
Events are scheduled from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. The Pajama Cat Sharks are scheduled to perform during Saturday’s beer garden from 3-6 p.m. that’s hosted by the Alaskan Brewing Co.
Sunday’s beer garden, sponsored by Forbidden Peak Brewery, is scheduled from 2-5 p.m. Also on Sunday a free bouncy house for all ages will be at the park, with donations going to the Thunder Mountain High School Music Department and Juneau Gold Rush Days.
Mining events for adults starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday are: Jackleg Drilling, Women’s Spike Driving, Men’s Spike Driving, Women’s Hand Mucking, Men’s Hand Mucking, 12B Overshot Mucking and Team Drilling. Youth events starting at 1 p.m. are: Kids Hand Mucking (ages 6-12), Teen Spike Driving (ages 13-17) and Teen Hand Mucking (ages 13-17).
Logging events for adults starting at 8:30 a.m. Sunday are: Women’s & Men’s Axe Throwing, Women’s & Men’s Team Hand Bucking, Coed Team Hand Bucking, Women’s & Men’s Stock Power Saw Bucking, Women’s & Men’s Speed Climbing, Men’s Vertical Chopping, Women’s Choker Setter Race, Team Choker Setter & Hook Tender Relay, Women’s & Men’s Obstacle Pole Buck, Women’s Horizontal Chopping, Women’s & Men’s Log Rolling, and Miners vs. Loggers Tug-of-War. Youth events starting at 1 p.m. are: the Kids Choker Setter Race and Teen Choker Setter Race.
An awards ceremony when all competitive events are over is scheduled Sunday afternoon.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
