Camels, Ostriches, Zebras and Emus Race in a Nevada Silver Town Because a Newspaper Made It Up
The 67th International Camel and Ostrich Races run from 11 to 13 September in Virginia City.
The International Camel and Ostrich Races are at the Virginia City Arena and Fairgrounds in Nevada from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September, the sixty-seventh running.
Friday is Hot Camel Nights at five in the evening, with gates at three. Saturday has a ten in the morning show, gates at eight, and a two in the afternoon show, gates at half past twelve. Sunday is Family Day at noon, gates at ten.
Camels, ostriches, zebras and emus all race, ridden by a mix of professional and amateur jockeys.
The origin is a mistake. In 1959 the Territorial Enterprise printed a fabricated story about camel races in Virginia City. The San Francisco Chronicle took it at face value, camels were borrowed from the San Francisco Zoo, and they came up to race the following year, at which point the invented event became a real one.
General admission runs from 14 to 20 dollars, shaded premium seating is 30, VIP bleacher and table options go from 65 to 450, riding a camel yourself costs 500 and upper reserved parking is 35. Children two and under are free on a lap, and buying in advance is cheaper than paying at the gate. Sessions tend to sell out.
The Camel Hump parade goes down C Street on the Saturday at half past twelve and again at half past one, and the first hundred children on the Sunday ride a camel for nothing.
No pets except service animals, no umbrellas and no outside food or drink. It runs rain or shine and tickets are not refundable. The race format itself, how many run at once and over what distance, is not published anywhere.