California Trail Days June 6-7, 2026

Elko, NV. — The Bureau of Land Management’s California Trail Interpretive Center invites the public to join Freedom 250 Trail Days, a two-day living-history celebration honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States and the peoples who shaped the American West. This year’s event will be held June 6–7, 2026, at the California Trail Interpretive Center in Elko, Nevada.

Trail Days is a cherished tradition that brings westward expansion history to life with hands-on activities and cultural demonstrations. This year’s official Freedom 250 program introduces new presentations and interactive experiences to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary. Freedom 250 Trail Days honors the ideals of independence, perseverance, and community. Visitors can meet interpreters and explore a living frontier town, engaging with the diverse voices and cultures that shaped the Great American West.

Guests can enjoy Basque youth dancers, Owyhee drummers and dancers, live music, Dutch oven cooking demos, arts and crafts workshops, Indigenous life education, and pioneer reenactments. Activities include pioneer games, sack races, axe throwing, watermelon eating, gold panning, period gun fights, and “Laura Ingalls Wilder” reenactments, plus appearances by Freedom the wild horse and Liberty the wild burro.

Event Details

- What: Freedom 250 Trail Days, a two-day living-history celebration

- When: June 6th and 7th, 2026, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

- Where: California Trail Interpretive Center, 8 miles west of Elko, NV off I-80 (Hunter exit 292)

- Why: Commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States through education, heritage, and community engagement

- Admission: FREE!

For more information call Paul Brownlee, or CTIC Information at 775-738-1849 https://www.californiatrailcenter.org/ https://www.californiatrailcenter.org/california-trail-days-event/