Buena Park Silverado Days Festival

October 18-20, 2024

Peak Park
7225 El Dorado Dr.
Buena Park, CA
silveradodays.com

Featuring Helm & Son Amusements

Celebrate 65 years of good times in the Center of the Southland. Come and enjoy games, crafts, contests, rides, food and fun for the whole family! Featured contests include World Amateur Arm Wrestling Championship, a Men's Leg Contest, Professional Horseshoe Contest, Pie-Eating Contest, Hog Calling, Baby Contest, Mutt Show, along with a Classic Car Show, Chili Cook-off and much more!!

Additional highlights include food and game booths, arts and crafts booths, and carnival rides.

Park Hours:

• Friday 5 p.m. - midnight Miss Silverado 6 p.m. Bike Drawing 9 p.m.
• Saturday 10 a.m. - midnight Professional Horseshoes 10 a.m. Baby Classic Contest 12 p.m. Pie Eating Contest 1 p.m.  Bike Drawing 9 p.m.
• Sunday 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. Pancake Breakfast 7 a.m. Car Show 9 a.m. Chili Cookoff and Horseshoes Contests 10 a.m. Mutt Show Contest 12 p.m. Hog Calling 3 p.m.

Carnival hours:
Friday 5 p.m. - midnight
Saturday 1 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Silverado Days is made possible by the generous efforts of the Buena Park Noon Lions Club and the City of Buena Park. The event attracts up to 200,000 people and thousands of dollars for local charities each year. All funds collected from food and raffle ticket sales go back into the community through charitable organizations. For more information visit www.SilveradoDays.com.

COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT SPONSORED EVENTS:

ANNUAL BABY CLASSIC
Baby Classic for babies 2 & under
(Main Stage)
Saturday at12:00 noon
Registration begins at 11:00 a.m. This event is FREE!
Babies of all shapes and sizes are invited to compete for prizes in this popular and lovable event. Categories include: Chubbiest Cheeks, Curliest Hair, Parent/Child Look-Alike and Best Western Outfit. All children under two years of age as of show-time are eligible and the first 60 entrants receive a Baby Classic t-shirt.

PIE EATING CONTEST
Pie Eating for pie lovers
(Senior Pavilion)
Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
Registration begins at 12:30p.m. Entry fee: $.50
Test your appetite, speed and technique! Trophies awarded in the following categories: 5-8 yrs., 9-12 yrs., 13-16 yrs., 17 & over.

ANNUAL MUTT SHOW & CONTEST
Mutt Show - Bring Yours!
(Main Stage)
Sunday at 12:00 noon
Registration begins at 11:00 a.m. This event is FREE!
Bring your Favorite Fido Friend to this very special dog day afternoon at Peak Park. Dog owners and spectators alike will enjoy the crazy categories the mutts compete in these categories:Craziest Costume, Best Trick / Talent, Largest Dog, Mutt/Owner Look-Alike, Best Tail Wag.

HOG CALLING CONTEST
Hog Calling - Do You Dare? (Silverado Community Stage)
Sunday at 3:00 p.m.
Registration begins at 2:00 p.m. This event is FREE!
This is your chance to try your own unique hog calling technique. All ages welcome! Trophies to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

By C. MacDonald

Buena Park's "Silverado Days" is one of California's oldest and finest events for sheer, good, old-fashioned fun, where the proceeds benefit the community.

Manned mainly by volunteers from dozens of local groups, the recent 57th annual celebration featured all sorts of fun stuff from games, crafts, carnival rides and food to many contests, including Hog Calling, Pie Eating, Arm Wrestling, Pinewood Car Making and Racing, Baby Judging (i.e., Chubbiest Cheeks, Parent-Child Lookalike), Horseshows, Chili Cook-off and even a Mutt Show (i.e., Best Tail Wag, Owner Lookalike) as well as a Men's Legs competition (i.e., Hairiest, Knobbiest Knees and Sexiest).

Then there was the music—steel drum, bluegrass, rock, even "Elvis"—to go along with dance and a "Classics on the Green" Car Show, featuring 336 beautiful vehicles.

The impressive three day event which raises over $100,000 to help the area, is run by the Buena Park Noon Lions Club in cooperation with the City of Buena Park (whose Police, Public Works and Parks Recreation do a splendid job making this a fun, safe celebration.)

The neat thing about "Silverado Days" is that the community supports it and it supports the community. The food booths are run by non-profits, who raise between $45,000-$50,000 each year, according to Pat Donnelly, General Chairman and Entertainment Chair for the fabulous festival.

"After we pay the bills, we give grants to help the Greater Buena Park area. People can apply for a grant at SilveradoDays.com."

Donnelly said that since 1972, "We've given out more than $1,172,000 in grants to groups like the Boys and Girls Club, Buena Park Youth Theater, Police Explorers and many schools."

"Our goal is to help the entire community and we try to get the whole community involved."

"Silverado Sam" (mascot and former mayor Don McCay) helps ensure everyone is having a good time. How couldn't they? There are just so many delightful things to see and do, not to mention bike giveaways and a raffle for a new Chevrolet Cruze!

The most recent theme, "Our Veterans-Our Heroes," paid tribute to local military veterans with a special "Wall of Heroes." The magnificent Buena Park Youth Theater Spotlighters even jumped up on tables in the Main Stage Arena and sang popular patriotic songs that really fired up the crowd.

"Silverado Days" has such a wonderful, positive, uplifting, feeling of friendship and camaraderie and to think it's absolutely FREE to attend for the entire family! Even Parking is FREE! Seldom can you experience such a variety of joy without having to pay admission and parking fees.

Bravo to the hundreds of volunteers, people like Alcene Cain, Rose Diaz and Chris Brown of the Buena Park Historical Society, Laura Rodehaver, President of the Buena Park Noon Lions Club, City Council Members Art Brown, Fred Smith, Steve Berry, Miller Oh and Mayor Beth Swift. Bravo to sponsors like Knott's Berry Farm, Walmart, McDonald's, Sizzler, Wienerschnitzel, EDCO/Park Disposal and Premier Chevrolet for helping make possible such an incredible celebration.

Be sure and catch the next "Silverado Days" at Peak Park.

Park Hours:

Friday - 5 p.m. - Midnight
Saturday - 10 a.m. - Midnight
Sunday - 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Carnival Hours:

Friday from 5 p.m. to midnight
Saturday from 12 p.m. to midnight
Sunday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Peak Park (Silverado Community Stage) 7225 El Dorado Drive
Saturday
1 p.m. No fee to participate-- it's free!

Cute Baby Contests

Babies of all shapes and sizes are invited to compete for prizes in this popular and lovable event. All children under two years of age as of show-time are eligible and the first 60 entrants receive a Baby Classic t-shirt.

Categories include:
Chubbiest Cheeks
Best Western Outfit or Mardi Gras Costume
Curliest Hair
Parent/Child Look-Alike

Annual Mutt Show

Sunday
12 Noon (Register at 11 a.m.) FREE!
Bring your Favorite Fido Friend to this very special dog day afternoon at Peak Park. Dog owners and spectators alike will enjoy the crazy categories the mutts compete in.

Categories include:
Craziest Costume
Best Trick / Talent
Largest Dog
Mutt/Owner Look-Alike
Best Tail Wag

Pie Eating Contest
Peak Park Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (Registration 3pm) Entry fee: $.50

Test your appetite, speed and technique! Trophies awarded.

Categories include:
5-8 years
9-12 years
13-16 years
17 & over

Pig Calling Contest
Sunday at 2 p.m. Registration 1 p.m.

This is your chance to try your own unique hog calling technique. All
ages welcome! Trophies to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

Chili Contest
Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Cost: $50 (subject to change)

There is a contest entry fee and the best part about this chili competition is that anything goes. Hosted by the Buena Park Police Explorers, there are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards, a people's choice award, and best decorated chili booth. Plan to make four quarts.

Silverado Days is a community festival spanning three days, usually in October. The event includes old-fashioned family fun with contests such as pie eating, cute baby, chili cookoff, dogs & mutts, a young miss competition, and even pig hollerin'. Games, crafts, vendor booths, rides, food and fun all raise money for local causes. Silverado Days can draw over 150,000 people over a 3-day period to Peak Park in Buena Park. The festival is sponsored by the Buena Park Noon Lions Club in association with the City of Buena Park. In a single year expect to find at least 16 food booths, 20 game booths, 90 arts and crafts booth and 30 carnival rides to share with your family and friends.

Buena Park, a city with "park" in its name, is proud of its parks, services and special events hosted in the city parks.

Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.