Here is the 2000 Miss Gold Nugget Day and her escort. Entrants into the Miss Gold Nugget contest have to follow strict guidelines in making their dress as authentic as possible. The girls and their mothers are required to keep journals and records of the materials used in the dresses and the way the dresses are put together.

It takes the girls months of planning and work to put together these elaborate costumes. The dresses have all of the layers and hoops from the Gold Rush era and can be pretty hot to wear in the April sun. Local Paradise teens have a great time participating, though, and learn quite a bit about the history of the California Gold Rush and the lifestyles of those who lived at that time.