157th Annual
Dominion Day Celebrations
Tuesday, July 1st, 2025
Parade, games, live theatre and music and dancing at the House Hotel Saloon!
Special Activities
PARADE
11:50am
Begins at the St. Saviour’s Church and finishes at the games clearing by the Chinatown Arch
Games
12:00pm
Games occur in consecutive order:
Broad Jump
Ladies’ Nail Driving
Funny Face
Men’s Hammer Toss
Ladies’ Egg & Spoon
Egg Toss
Greasy Pole Climb
Tug O’ War
FESTIVITIES AT THE HOUSE HOTEL SALOON
7:00pm
Join us at the House Hotel Saloon for an evening of live music and dancing featuring the Interstellar Jays!
Theatre Royal
4:00PM
An hour of music, comedy, and fun for the entire family!
Tickets sold separately. Available at the Welcome Centre. Box office is open 1pm-2pm daily.
Theatre Admission Prices
General: $20.00
Seniors: $17.00
Youth (6-16): $8.00
Children 5 and under: FREE
REGULAR PROGRAMMING
Indigenous Cultural Session
All-Day
Dahooja, Weyt-kp, Hadih! Barkerville is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Lhtako Dene Nation and Secwépemc Peoples. We invite you to learn the stories of the Indigenous peoples and their role in the gold rush.
Gold Panning Lesson
All-Day
Get a taste of the Barkerville Gold Rush. Take a step back in history and learn how to gold pan with the old gold miners at the Eldorado Gold Panning & Gift Shop. Pan for a sample of gold to take home. Visit the shop for prices.
Cameron & Ames Blacksmith Shop
All-Day
Experience a working 1870s Blacksmith Shop! Hear the anvil chorus and smell the sizzle of hot metal smoke. Handcrafted iron works are available for purchase.
Cariboo Sentinel Newspaper Shop
All-Day
Founded in 1865, the Cariboo Sentinel newspaper runs for 10 years and reaches global circulation. Visit the print shop to purchase custom-made paper items and also see the editor setting type and operating an original platen press.
Amazing Tales from the Gold Rush Trail
9:15am
30 minutes
A historical overview of British Columbia’s Gold Rush at the Barker Co. Shafthouse. A chronicle of the events and people who prospected their way to Williams Creek and how they followed the geological indicators to the fabulous riches of the Cariboo Gold Fields.
Drum Circles
9:30am & 5:15pm
15 minutes each
Join us for a traditional Indigenous drum circles at the Mitlite Iskum Pavilion in the morning and the Kelly Hall in the evening to honour the Original Peoples of this land.
Guided Town Tour
10:00am
70 minutes
Absorb an in-depth understanding of the gold rush history, Barkerville, and the colourful characters of years past by attending one of our enlightening and entertaining town tours, hosted by Barkerville\’s historical interpreters. The tour is highly recommended for first-time visitors. Tours begin in front of the Pavilion building and last approximately 70 minutes.
Victorian School Lessons at the Doody House
10:30am & 1:00pm
30 minutes each
Experience school like it was when Barkerville was thriving. All are welcome to attend this authentic classroom session. Line up at the schoolhouse doors when you hear the school teacher ringing the bell. Don\’t be late, and kindly remove your hats before entering. 30 minutes.
THE MRS. HOUSER STORY
12:00pm
30 minutes
Join Mrs. Houser at the Barkerville Hotel and hear the firsthand account of her remarkable life across the heyday of Barkerville’s Gold Rush. Her personal journey offers a vivid window into the era, revealing the indomitable spirit of those who experienced this time in history.
Chinese School Lessons at the Myatovic Cabin
11:30am
30 minutes
School is in session at the Chinese School house. Come and learn about the spoken Chinese language, Chinese calligraphy and how to do math on an abacus. 30 minutes.
HISTORY OF GOLD RUSH MUSIC
12:00pm
30 minutes
Join Mr. Bowron at the Barkerville Hotel to learn about the evolution of the music of the gold rush.
Court Session at the Methodist Church
1:30pm
30 minutes
Learn about early justice in the Colony of British Columbia while our Gold Commissioners re-enact a famous court case from the Gold Rush Era.
Waterwheel Show
2:00pm
30 minutes
See deep shaft placer mining in this lively demonstration of 1870s technology using an authentic wooden Cornish Waterwheel. Learn about the importance and operation of the wheel in a comical and entertaining presentation that is fascinating for the whole family. 30 minutes.
Chinatown Tour
2:45pm
60 minutes
Explore one of Canada\’s oldest Chinatowns. Find out more about the life of Chinese miners and merchants in Barkerville, and how their culture was maintained and adapted to the rugged land of the Cariboo. To join in on the tour, meet in front of the Lung Duck Tong restaurant. Approximately 60 minutes.
Barnard’s Express
Francis Jones Barnard’s B.X. Express freighting company shaped communication and travel to and from Barkerville and was the main cartage and passenger service on the Cariboo Waggon Road. Take a horse-drawn tour of Barkerville in an authentic stagecoach!
Thursday – Monday
10AM – 5PM
Every half hour, last ride at 4:30
(Schedule subject to change)
Tickets
Purchased separately at Barnard’s Express
General (13-64): $12
Seniors (65+): $10
Youth (4-12): $8
Children (0-3) Free
Dominion Day and the “New” Canadian Flag
Canada’s very first Dominion Day celebration was held in Barkerville as a fervent display of support for Canadian confederation three years before British Columbia joined in 1871.
Just past midnight on July 1, 1868, the Dominion of Canada’s first anniversary, Barkerville citizens launched their own version of a 21 gun salute. Cannons were in short supply, so black powder charges were detonated between stacked anvils, providing a loud and raucous start to Canada’s inaugural birthday party. A full slate of activities followed throughout the day and long into the evening, capped off with a fireworks display.
The very next year Cariboo’s “new” Canadian Flag, with its iconic beaver and wreath, was raised in the dead of night to the top of a newly constructed flagpole. The next day began with the now traditional anvil chorus and the ensuing celebrations were legendary.
Extensive historical research suggests that Barkerville began celebrating Dominion Day (Canada Day) eleven years before it was officially recognized.
In 2024, we celebrate much the same way, with games and an evening of entertainment, dancing and refreshments!