Festivities kick off bright and early with breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. There will be games for the kids and crafts for the adults following breakfast.
Throughout the day there will be free corn on the cob, musical entertainment, a car show, and vendors selling crafts and food.
The Ophir Days celebration has been around as long as the town has, according to Ophir Mayor Walt Shubert.
“When the railroad was running in Ophir they would shut down the whole town and have Ophir Days,” said Shubert, also the chairman of Ophir Days. “They would play ball and all that fun stuff. So we’ve tried to carry on the tradition of holding it the first weekend in August, just like they did.”
The celebration this year will be held in the city park. In previous years Ophir Days has switched back and forth between the town’s main road — Ophir Canyon Road — and the park.
Ophir Days is open to the public and Shubert anticipates a lot of people visit the town.
“I’ve seen Ophir Days draw a crowd of 300 to 500 people each year and I don’t expect this year will be any different,” Shubert said.
Visitors are also welcome to explore the Ophir Historic District. A shoe shop, school house, and a restored ore wagon have been added to the district this year, as well as working restrooms.
The historic district was formed several years ago by Mayor Shubert in an attempt to preserve Ophir’s rich mining history.
“I was with a boy in the historic district a few days ago and he pointed to something in the corner and asked what it was,” Shubert said. “You wouldn’t believe that kids these days don’t know what an ironing board looked like back then. The district was created so kids can get a piece of history.”
Shubert recommends Ophir Days to anyone looking for a good place to hear some stories.
“My favorite thing about the celebration is the gathering of old timers that used to live and work in Ophir and hear the stories of what life was like in Ophir 30 years ago,” Shubert said. “We’ve come a long way in 10 years, let alone 30.”
Ophir is 22 miles south of Tooele City in Ophir Canyon. Take SR-36 south from Tooele and proceed through Stockton to the intersection of SR-36 and SR-73. Turn left onto SR-73 and proceed east for six miles toward the Oquirrh Mountains. Turn left onto Ophir Canyon Road and proceed east for three miles to town.
Natalie Tripp: ntripp@tooeletranscript.com
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