Fourth of July Parade - Gold Rush Days

Capital Chat

Juneau's 4th of July Parade theme this year is: Juneau Youth, Soaring into the Future!
Join us in our annual celebration of America's Independence Day, this year we will spotlight the youth of our city! It has been a year of changes and we want to promote positivity, community and celebration of this great country we all live in! We're so excited to see you all there!

The Juneau Festival Association puts on the parade every year and we are in dire need of year-round board members to help with decision making and volunteer assistance! Please e-mail us at [e-mail] for more information. There is an application process and an annual $10 membership fee to help cover expenses.
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Juneau Gold Rush Days Talking Points
History:
• In 1990 JP Tangen, John Sandor, Roger Griffin, were looking for a way to help educate the public about two major industries in the Juneau community – Mining and Logging
• Jerry Harmon, Jim Wilcox, and David Stone got involved, and together they formed Juneau Gold Rush Days, a registered nonprofit with a mission to connect Juneau’s past to its present and future
• Each year the nonprofit group hosts the two-day Juneau Gold Rush Days event to celebrate Alaska’s industries
• The two-day celebration pays homage to the past, present, and future of mining and logging
• The Juneau Gold Rush Days event would not be possible without the community’s support! The event is supported through donations, volunteers, and a lot of hard work.
• The first ever Juneau Gold Rush Days was held in Vintage Park where Safeway is now.
• Next the Juneau Gold Rush Commission negotiated a lease with the City & Borough of Juneau for space at Dimond Park.
• At Dimond Park, the Juneau Gold Rush Commission put in $1.5M of in-kind services in development – including the first soccer field and two ball parks. They hauled all the material to fill the park from where Safeway was being built.
• When the Dimond Park Field House was to be built, the City asked the JGRC to move to Savikko Park, where it is hosted today.
This year’s event:
• This year’s event takes place the weekend of June 22-23, 2024
• At Savikko Park on Douglas, AK
• Juneau Gold Rush Days is an action-packed celebration consisting of mining and logging competitions, local fair foods, informational booths, a kids carnival, gold panning, a bouncy house, live music, and entertainment for all ages.
• Contestants compete in mining-specific events such as jackleg drilling, spike driving, and hand mucking, and logging events, like axe throwing, speed climbing, hand bucking, and log rolling.
• This beloved event is FREE to the public, and supported by our many generous sponsors
Mining:
• Juneau has a rich mining history
• The historic Treadwell Mine – where the Juneau Gold Rush Days event is hosted each year – was once the largest hard rock gold mine in the world with over 2,000 employees!
• Juneau hosts 2 of Alaska’s 6 large operating and producing mines – Coeur Alaska Kensington Mine and Hecla Greens Creek Mine
• The two Juneau mines are the largest private employers in the City and Borough of Juneau
• AND are the two largest property taxpayers in the City and Borough of Juneau!
• Both mines provide equipment, staff support, and monetary donations to the event each year.