09/28/2026
What an incredible 48th Annual Gold Rush Festival and 200th Year Celebration!
From the morning race and parade to a full day of festival activities, vendors, live entertainment, and an unforgettable evening concert with The Kentucky Headhunters and The Otis Band, Downtown Villa Rica was filled with energy, excitement, and community spirit.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day so special. Thank you to the runners, organizers, and volunteers who participated in the race; everyone who took part in the parade or lined the streets to watch; and every vendor who spent the day with us. We are also grateful to everyone who shopped, ate, and supported our vendors and downtown businesses throughout the festival.
Thank you to all of our talented performers who entertained our community on both stages and to The Kentucky Headhunters and The Otis Band for closing out the celebration with an amazing concert.
We are incredibly grateful to our 2026 Gold Rush sponsors. Your support helps make this longstanding Villa Rica tradition possible:
City of Villa Rica, Visit Villa Rica, Villa Rica Main Street, Sonja Davidson State Farm, Southwire, Alternative Environments, The Pilgrim Law Group, The Apothecary Shoppe, Flat Rock Realty-Brandon Swafford, Flat Rock Realty-Kait Swafford, Infinite Games, Main Street Mercantile, and Low Cowboys
An event this size happens only because of the many people working long hours behind the scenes and during the event. To our amazing Grounds Crew, Distribution, Parks and Recreation, Main Street, staff, Police Department, city departments, and everyone who helped with setup, operations, and cleanup—thank you. Your hard work is essential to Gold Rush's success and to every event we host.
Thank you to our volunteers who generously gave their time to welcome guests, answer questions, and help keep the day running smoothly. Thank you to our downtown businesses and vendors who support the Gold Brick Hunt and welcome thousands of visitors into our downtown community.
A very special thank-you goes to our Events Manager, Karina Martinez. Karina is the driving force behind Gold Rush, bringing together the planning, coordination, logistics, and countless moving parts required to produce an event of this magnitude. Much of her work happens behind the scenes, but you can see its impact throughout the entire festival. Thank you, Karina, for everything you do for Downtown Villa Rica, our city and our community.
Most importantly, thank you to everyone who attended, participated, volunteered, performed, sponsored, worked, or supported the festival. You made the 48th Annual Gold Rush Festival a tremendous success and a celebration worthy of Villa Rica’s bicentennial year.
Thank you for making Gold Rush 2026 a day to remember!
Melissa Conner, Main Street Manager
Feel Free to Add Photos You Took at GoldRush In the Comments!
