COTTAGE GROVE – Thousands of folks strolled in and out of Coiner Park last weekend in Cottage Grove to check out the attractions of the 67th annual Bohemia Mining Days festival. Spirit of Bohemia Mining Days honored the community’s gold- and silver-mining heritage with live music, vendors, kids’ activities, and historic demonstrations on July 16-18.
Folks from all over Oregon visited Bohemia City and attended events that coincided with the festival. Since the event is free without entrance gates, an exact number of visitors could not be tallied, but, based on crowd density, photographs, parking activity, vendor feedback, and observations throughout the weekend, it is estimated that approximately 30,000 people attended over the three-day festival, according to executive director and Bohemia City Jail Cell Photobooth operator, Matthew Hewlett.
Last year, the park saw around 25,000 attendees, making 2026 one of the event’s strongest years in recent memory. Friday evening and much of Saturday were particularly busy, and at times nearly every part of the park was heavily occupied.
“Nearly everyone who spoke with me during the event said the festival felt bigger than ever and praised the improved layout,” Hewlett said.
He said he found that funny because the number of vendors was actually reduced by about 10 this year, going from 89 to about 79 vendors. Some of those vendors included the classics, like Helen’s Cotton Candy, Bates Catering, Paradise Shaved Ice, Delight Games and Art, Fox and Hawk Mercantile, and Henna by Bre.
Hewlett said the reduction was a more intentional arrangement that better connected the vendors, activities, entertainment, and historical areas throughout the park. No matter where you were in Coiner, there was something to do, whether it be blacksmithing, jumping in a giant inflatable, eating a funnel cake, learning about the history of the area, or purchasing handmade goods.
“Truthfully, my favorite part of the festival is seeing everyone enjoying themselves. Particularly when coming by the Jail Cell,” Hewlett said. “It warms my heart to see so many families laugh and really immerse themselves in the show, so to speak.”
Inflatables and plays
New S&K Inflatable Rentals Training Grounds were also successful, according to Hewlett. In an attempt to appeal to older children as well as younger festivalgoers, the five bounce houses also helped draw folks to the southeast portion of the park.
The stages in the beer garden were always active, either with live music, history presentations, contests, or a play. On Friday afternoon, Creative Chaos presented The River, the Railroad, and the Fishing Hole, written, directed, and produced by Ian Miller.
Creative Chaos is a nonprofit organization that celebrates the talents and creativity of individuals with disabilities. The play fits the festival’s theme of Rivers, Rails, and Reels and is about an individual who goes fishing during summer break.
During the fishing trip, they catch a variety of sea critters, like a catfish, squid, a rainbow, and a clownfish. Members of Creative Chaos played sea animals that got caught, were measured, and released.
“Anybody can do anything. They can do anything if they put their mind to it and have some guided help,” said Creative Chaos founder Carmen Dowell.
The play will also be performed at the Western Oregon Exposition Fair, held on Aug. 21-23 at the fairgrounds, 2000 N. Douglas Ave.
Grand Miners Parade
On Saturday, the Grand Miners Parade lasted around 2 hours with its new route traversing through downtown. A major highlight was the return of the Lemati Gang, which joined the Bohemia Mine Owners Association for staged robberies and shootouts along the route. Longtime member Tim Schweitzer hopes to recruit younger members and continue the nearly 50-year tradition.
Garland Burback, owner of Cottage Grove Garbage Service, community leader, and festival sponsor, served as Grand Marshal of the 54-entry Grand Miners Parade, riding in a Lions Club member’s convertible Jaguar.
Other parade participants included World War II Rosies, local sports teams, South Lane School Transportation, hot rods and classic cars, the Cottage Grove Speedway, and the Western Oregon Exposition. Robert Howell Logging also appeared in the parade and said he enjoyed it.
“The parade also appeared to be especially meaningful for families and children this year,” Hewlett said. “One parent and parade participant described it as ‘one to remember for all the children,’ and thanked the parade staff for creating an experience that the children would remember for years to come.”
Tina Hanna, a first-timer at BMD, said she will definitely be back.
“It was such a great experience. The parade was awesome and so much fun checking out the vendors,” Hanna said.
Ore carts
Right after the parade, the Ore Cart Races took over a portion of 10th Street in front of Bohemia Park. Three adult division teams with three members each built reusable, human-powered mining ore carts and raced head-to-head.
Bohemia City Mayor Dana Merryday explained the rules: two team members were to push the cart, with one “tommyknocker” who would retrieve three 20-pound bags of ore, one at a time. The cart was then to be pushed back to the start, with all the ore and all team members. The first team to win a race twice would then be the winner.
Weyerhaeuser sponsored the festival event and was a participating team in the adult division. They were up against Lost Creek Mining Co. and Money Pit Mine. In the first round, the Weyerhaeuser team won, and Lost Creek Mining Co. was close behind, but was only able to secure two out of the three bags of ore in their cart.
Dozens of folks lined the sidewalks to watch the race. The three carts took off, and the crowd erupted in cheers. The Weyerhaeuser team, clad in matching orange shirts, filled their cart with ore and dashed over the finish line. Thomas Hartman, Clint Shepherd, and Nicholas Jordan had won for Weyerhaeuser.
It takes a village
According to Hewlett, some of the challenges this year were last-minute changes, communication difficulties, volunteer coverage concerns, electrical and logistical needs, equipment problems, and crowd movement issues.
“There were stressful and frustrating moments, as there will be with any undertaking of this size, but there were also countless examples of people giving one another grace, stepping forward, and doing what was necessary for the community,” he said. “We are incredibly proud of what Cottage Grove accomplished together this year.”
Hewlett said that Bohemia Mining Days is not created by a single individual or even a single organization. It represents nearly a full year of planning and the combined work of volunteers, city employees, sponsors, local businesses, performers, vendors, community organizations, public safety personnel, and residents.
Several volunteers demonstrated the dependable, willing spirit that keeps BMD running. Garland returned during the festival cleanup to help manage the abundance of leftover cardboard. Rylee Ryan, a 15-year-old parking deputy, showed remarkable dedication throughout the festival, according to Hewlett, and Lonnie Marsh arrived without notice and quickly became one of the most valuable helpers, spending much of his time assisting returning volunteer Richard Thayer.
It takes Hewlett about a month to properly review, analyze, and organize the event data. The production team will hold a post-festival debrief, and additional feedback will be included in an internal Festival Overview Report to help the team continue to improve.
“Overall, I believe the weekend was tremendously successful. No event of this size will ever go completely according to plan, but the atmosphere was positive, attendance was strong, and people appeared genuinely engaged with the festival,” he said. “More importantly, it felt like the community was not simply attending an event—they were participating in Bohemia City.”
