It’ll be just like old times when the Whiskey Gulch Gang holds their 97th annual ’62 Days celebration Friday and Saturday, June 8-9, in Canyon City.

The festivities, including the Gold Rush Walk and Run, parade, hanging re-enactment and bed races, all commemorate the Canyon City gold rush in 1862.

New this year will be a Portland-based Chinese dragon and lion dance group in the parade and folks dressed in historical garb, from the Grant County Historical Museum, mingling with the crowd.

St. Thomas Episcopal Church will offer tours of their historic building and hold their traditional pie social.

Hugh Farrell, vice president of the Whiskey Gulch Gang, said the parade will mark the start of the celebration.

“Hopefully, everyone can come and have fun,” he said. “Gold was discovered in 1862 (at Whiskey Gulch), and that’s how the Whiskey Gulch Gang was named.”

He said the group was formed in 1922. Hugh’s son Colby Farrell is the current president.

Longtime John Day resident Carl Lino is this year’s parade grand marshal.

Lino became Grant Union High School’s principal in 1980, retiring in 1995.

He’s filled many positions of volunteer service with the Elks Lodge at the local, state and national level.

He is a past state Elks president for Oregon, and the past nine years he’s served as a member of the national Elks Ritual Committee, the last two years as chairman.

Lino’s wife, Sondra, who passed away in 2011, was Oregon’s Girls State director for the American Legion Auxiliary.

Their two daughters are Lisa (Tom) Berry of Boise and Jody (Keith) Hammack of Bend, and they have three granddaughters.

Lino has traveled to all seven continents and all 50 states and said he enjoyed traveling abroad yearly when he was able.

He has also found much to enjoy in Grant County.

“’62 Days was always fun and a day to get together with friends, chewing the fat, so to speak,” Lino said. “I’ve always said John Day-Canyon City is not a place, it’s a way of life, and everyone is sitting around having a good time reminiscing.”

He said the community has had everything he wanted.

“A good community and a good golf course, and the fellowship,” he said. “The school has a high reputation and the programs are well respected. We had good leadership when Dean Nodine was superintendent — he was the one who hired me.”

Del Raymond will drive a horse-drawn buggy in Saturday’s parade, and if Lino is unable to attend due to illness, a group of his past Grant Union students will be in the parade in his honor.

Melissa Galbreath, one of this year’s ’62 Days organizers, said starting this year the parades will have a general theme of “old times” — “Whatever makes you think of 1862.”

Galbreath, who was a Grant Union student while Lino was principal, said he continued to care about his students after they graduated.

“He can remember the name of every student who walked the halls during his reign and likely tell a story about them,” she said. “He is a kind, gentle man who has a heart of gold.”

For more information, call Galbreath at 541-620-0898.

’62 Days events

Friday

9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Grant County Historical Museum is open

4 p.m.: Sels Brewery opens

9 p.m.: Music by Copper Ridge at Sels Brewery

Saturday

7 a.m.: Hope 4 Paws breakfast at the fire hall provided by Squeeze-In Restaurant

8 a.m.: Gold Rush Run and Walk

9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Grant County Historical Museum is open

9:30 a.m.: Parade registration and lineup at Humbolt Elementary School

11 a.m.: Parade

After parade: Ugly Truth barbecue at the fire hall, Wrestling Club hamburgers, up to 20 vendors, games in the park

11:30 a.m.: St. Thomas Episcopal Church pie social and tours of the historical building

1 p.m.: Grant County Historical Museum re-enactment

1:30 p.m.: Hanging re-enactment

2 p.m.: Bed races

2:30 p.m.: Ax throw

3 p.m.: Grant County Historical Museum re-enactment

5 p.m.: Street dance

9 p.m.: Music by Copper Ridge at Sels Brewery