80 Years Ago
The first Buffalo Bill Days was held in August of 1946. The celebration was so named because it was the 100th anniversary of Buffalo Bill's birth. The town was in a wildly celebratory mood: World War II was over. Victory had been declared in Europe in May, and Japan surrendered on August 15th.
That year, we had a parade, a carnival, barbecued buffalo, had window displays in the downtown stores, a soap box derby, a tug-of-war among the Mines fraternities, fireworks, baseball games, races, a dance, and a bazaar.
The celebration has evolved over the years. We still have the parade, don’t have fireworks or a dance, but we’ve added a pancake breakfast, food and craft vendors, and non-stop high-quality live music. Learn more about this year's event—and plan to attend!
