Deadwood

Given my emphasis in school on the history of the American West, I wish I could attend this out in Deadwood.  Rapid City Journal excerpt:

Deadwood will have a big party June 16-18 as it celebrates old western lore and the legend of Wild Bill Hickok.

Wild Bill Hickok, whose given name was James Butler Hickok, was a western lawman during the expansion of the Great Plains and west after the Civil War. Hickok traveled to gold camps because of gold rushes in Colorado, Montana and South Dakota.

Hickok came to Deadwood in 1876 and worked a gold claim for six weeks. While he was sitting in a bar, Jack McCall shot him in the back, and Hickok's death left an indelible mark on the historical flavor of the city.

Wild Bill Hickok Days offers fancy pistol-handling, old west parades and free concerts.

The event begins Friday, June 16, with a fast-draw shootout to benefit Easter Seals, western re-enactors and a "Wild Bill Hickok Wild West Parade" on the streets of Deadwood. The shooting begins at noon, but participants are asked to arrive at 11 a.m. for instructions. The event includes a series of concerts, fast-draw shooting competitions and a Main Street parade at 7 p.m. Friday.