Shannon Litz/Nevada AppealJohn Miltenberger of Fernley, playing the Sheriff Augustus Ash, does a show with the Nevada Gunfighters at the Carson City Rendezvous at Mills Park on Friday afternoon.
The 28th annual Carson City Rendezvous - a living history and re-enactment event celebrating Nevada's early days of the mid- to late- 1800s -continues today and Sunday at Mills Park
Events will play out through the weekend, but one of the most dramatic will be a Civil War twilight battle at 8 p.m. Saturday, he said.
Another new event will be a re-enactment of Abe Lincoln's swearing in as the 16th U.S. president in honor of the 150th anniversary of his 1861 swearing in.
Opening ceremonies are at 10 a.m. this morning in the big field at Mills Park.
A highlight of the weekend will be a Civil War Ball, one of the most popular and widely attended events of the era, Crombie said. The ball starts at 9 p.m. today in the Pony Express Pavillion, complete with period ball attire, a dance master and all of the traditional dances of the day. Attendees can come in period costume if they prefer, but it is not required.
There are numerous other shows, attractions and activities going on all weekend long, including:
• Live western musical entertainment, rope tricks, clowns and cowboy poetry.
• Gunfight skits from the Nevada Gunfighters.
• Traditional Native American Village with crafts, food, drumming, dancing, demonstrations and storytelling.
• Civil War battle re-enactments and military campsites.
• Mountain Men encampment where visitors can throw a tomahawk, shoot a cannon, see frontier living displays and trade goods with authentic frontier traders of the day. Authentic campsites, teepees, lodges and weaponry of the day will all be on display.
• Dutch Oven cooking demonstrations with free samples all day long.
• Stagecoach rides provided by the TNT Stagelines.
• Letter deliveries by the Pony Express.
• Railroad Museum display to include a railroad camp, and a real hand car on 100 feet of track.
• Living legends like Robert E. Lee, Kit Carson and more.
• Gunfights include a lively take of the Old West's rugged banditos and rough riders who also made it across the West.
• Buckaroo Kids Stick Rodeo so even the toddlers can get into the action.
Other entertainers throughout the weekend will be Sourdough Slim, Tom Hiatt, Rendezvous favorite Karen Quest with her rope tricks and comedy act, and musician and magician Larry Elliott.
Rendezvous hours are from 10 a.m.-9 p.m., today and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.