Treasure hunters and hobby prospectors alike from across the Carolinas will descend on the Reed Gold Mine for the The 31st Annual Pan-O-Lympics (aka North Carolina Open Gold Panning Competition).
The event will take place this coming September 12th from 9am to 5pm, according to a press release from the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Gold panners of all ages will compete for the highest quantity of gold found in the shortest time frame along the historic Little Meadow Creek, which was were the first gold discovery in US history.
Entry fees are $15 for adult and $10 for junior categories. The Amateur division fees are $5 for adults and juniors.
Pros are contestants who have competed the prior two years.
The mine will allow for some practice time in the morning before the competition gets underway at 9am.
Profits from the event will go toward the Reed Expansion Committee, a group dedicated to preserving and promoting North Carolina’s gold mining history.
For more information, check out their Facebook event page here.