- "Let the festivities begin!"
- —Mayor Hubert
Doc and Clara dance at the event.
The Hill Valley Festival was an event held on Saturday September 5, 1885 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the town's founding. It was held at Courthouse Square where the newly constructed Hill County Courthouse was to gain a new working clock at 8:00 pm. There was a band for entertainment and several vendors such as Colt Firearms and a table of pies (at least one of which had a pie pan from the Frisbie Pie Company).
Security for the event was managed by Marshal James Strickland who encountered Buford Tannen and his gang before they could enter and disarmed them. However, Strickland missed one gun – a derringer – that Buford had hidden in his hat.
Buford takes aim at Doc.
At the event Buford intervened in the festivities and shot Doc Brown in the back over the previous matter they argued that week. Doc would later die two days later of internal bleeding.
When Marty McFly traveled back to 1885, he prevented that from occurring, temporarily saving Doc's life by throwing a Frisbie piepan which hit Buford's arm and caused the derringer to go off, sending the bullet into Doc's hat. Buford in rage then gave "Clint Eastwood" an ultimatum to show up on the street in a duel on Monday morning.
The Marshall broke up the dispute and festivities continued.
Behind the scenes
The band included the three members of ZZ Top.
