COTTAGE GROVE – Most Bohemia Mining Days enthusiasts are familiar with the traditional attractions of the Bohemia Mining Days festival, like the Grand Miners Parade and breakfast on the mountain. This year, new activities and events invite the community to experience the rich history of the region and entertain folks of all ages.
When Coiner Park transforms into Bohemia City on July 16, live music from local bands will be performed on two stages until Saturday night. Cowboy Buck and Friends sing catchy children’s songs.
Other performers include Rock N Roll Rewind, Inner Limits, The Regulars, and The Huckleberrys, singing an array of blues, rock, country, and songs from the decades.
Adult refreshments are available from Coast Fork Brewing at the Coast Fork Saloon, which opens at 4 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, and has a last call at 10 p.m.
The newest addition this year comes in lieu of the carnival rides that used to supplement the festival before COVID. S&K Inflatable Rentals is bringing six different massive inflatables for the Kids Zone.
“This year we’ve introduced something to be kind of a bridge over the gap from losing the carnival,” Matthew Hewlett, executive director of Spirit of Bohemia Mining Days, said.
He said that S&K Inflatable Rentals reached out to ask if they could be part of the festival this year.
“We worked out the logistics, and it sounded like a good idea,” Hewlett said.
Folks can find a rodeo favorite of mechanical bull riding, a 100-foot fire and ice obstacle course, a lava flow obstacle course where the ground is lava, a shark attack dual-entry slide, a 25-foot T. rex slide, and a Smokey Bear combo bounce house. A full day pass is $25, or three tickets are available for $5.
“That is one of the aspects where we are hoping is going to be a really big thing for kids and families,” Hewlett said.
Other activities designed for the youngest festivalgoers include rock painting, crafts, a penny toss, and a gold hunt. Singing Creek Educational Center will have a booth set up with corn doll-making and a beanbag toss, and other organizations, like the Family Relief Nursery, will provide information about their services.
The Kids Zone is a play zone, not a drop-off zone. Volunteers will be there to help with games and crafts, but they are not responsible for childcare.
An offsite event at the Cottage Theater presents an original melodrama on Friday and Saturday nights. The play is by local playwright Keith Kessler and features 18 performers aged 12-15. The family-friendly show will involve the audience in the old-time melodrama. Tickets are $10, and the show starts at 7 p.m. on both nights.
Also happening off-site is a Gold Rush 5k. This event is on Friday night, starting at 8 p.m., between 5th and 6th streets on Washington Avenue. It starts in the center of town and travels to Main Street and then River Road, along the Willamette Coast Fork River.
Tickets for the 5k range from $10 with an event shirt and $5 without for folks 18 years old and younger, or $25 for folks 19 and older without an event shirt and $35 with one. The proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Cottage Grove Public Library by supporting programs and operating expenses.
The finish line is at the same location as the start, and closes an hour after the race begins. A random prize drawing will start at around 9:05 p.m.
Registration for the race is available at southvalleyathletics.org. Registering after July 16 will add a $5 fee to race prices.
For more information about the festival, check out some quick facts here, or visit the website here.
