Revived Virginia City Bonanza Days to benefit Nevada Historical Society
By Andrew Barbano
The inaugural Big Bonanza Days Dinner and Awards Ceremony will take place on Saturday, March 5, at Virginia City's newest hotel, the Silverland Inn & Suites.
The Silverland is the major sponsor of the event. Proprietor Hugh Roy Marshall is a longtime amateur Nevada historian. He involved two experienced Nevada business executives in the revival of one of Virginia City's most storied events.
Working with the Silverland, Jim Webster and John O'Brien will bring Bonanza Days back to the Comstock after a hiatus of almost four decades.
"We have long been engaged in the promotion of area special events, including many in Virginia City," Webster said.
"Given the Comstock's ongoing resurgence, this is very timely," he added.
On March 5, the inaugural Big Bonanza Silver Strike Award will be presented to an organization or an individual for outstanding commitment to Nevada historical preservation. No-host cocktails and a silent auction begin at 5:00 p.m., dinner and presentations from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., music and dancing 8 to 10 p.m.
The cost is $50 per person, tables of eight are available for $500. Seating is limited and the Silverland Theater is already almost 75 percent sold.
"We encourage everyone to make reservations now," Webster said.
"We are proud to donate proceeds from the event to the Nevada Historical Society at the University of Nevada, Reno," Marshall announced.
"The society is undergoing serious financial stress and we want to do all we can to help," he stated.
For tickets, major sponsorships and auction donations, contact Webster at (775) 379-4787, e-mail or O'Brien at (775) 224-5838, e-mail
Rooms at the Silverland Inn & Suites are available for $99 plus tax. The hotel will donate $20 from the price of each room to the Nevada Historical Society. Reservations may be made by calling Ann Weaver at (775) 847-4484.
"We are proud to support this event with everything we've got," Marshall said.
With O'Brien, he co-hosts "Tales of Nevada-Past and Present" every Saturday at 1:00 p.m. on KBZZ 1270-am. The program is entirely about Silver State history and may also be heard live online via www.kbzz.com.
The Big Bonanza Days revival is a frequent topic. Nevada Historical Society Interim Executive Director Sheryln Hayes-Zorn was a recent guest. Reno native Neal Cobb, an editorial board member of the new "Nevada in the West" magazine, is a frequent contributor and coordinates the program.
This Saturday, the featured guest will be Arline LaFerry, a docent and researcher at NHS.
"She has been volunteering at the society for many years and really knows her stuff when it comes to geneaology and general research," Hayes-Zorn said.
"She is working on many exciting projects, so the program will be great."
In the 1960's and 1970's, Bonanza Days was headlined by actors from the classic "Bonanza" and "Wagon Train" television series, among many others. The sounds of double jack contests and parades were heard in the venerable mining district. The new Big Bonanza Days may eventually expand to similar areas.
This year's renewal will feature the state's actual history with fond remembrances of its fictional TV history. Fact and fiction merged when the stars came to town.
At random times over the next month, www.BigBonanzaDays.com will post humorous vignettes of past events along with some of the outrageous exaggerations that made the Comstock famous.
For more information and continuous updates, go to www.BigBonanzaDays.com.
Additional highlights will be announced over the next few weeks.
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