Oronoco's Gold Rush Days has antiques and so much more

4 months ago 3

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For three days every August, quiet downtown Oronoco becomes an antique mecca as hundreds of sellers of well-aged and vintage collectables descend on this southeast Minnesota town for Gold Rush Days.

Wide shot of a street lined with vendor booths.

The festival is celebrating its 53rd birthday this year, said event president Melissa Griggs. It’s got a national reach.

A woman in a red shirt poses for a photo in front of a table full of goods.

“Over the 53 years, you could name any state in the United States, and we probably have had people here selling from that state,” said Griggs. “We have shoppers that come that far.”

Aerial shot of several handmade bowls, plates and vases sitting on a table.

Vendors sell everything from the expected, like antique furniture to the whacky — think a life-sized metal alien.

A number of yard ornaments, but at the front are a bright green aluminum alien and an aluminum horse.

And Gold Rush Days is more than just antiques, said Griggs.

Close-up of a man's hands each holding a miniature pottery liquor bottle.

“We have a kids zone. We have a duck derby. We have a community medallion hunt that goes on all weekend. We have a parade now on Saturdays, and a classic car show,” said Griggs. “So we're trying to add a lot of things, community activities to bring in families to spend the day.”