Val Kilmer visits Tombstone for an Old West-themed event

TOMBSTONE, Ariz. — Val Kilmer visited Tombstone on Saturday for an event to celebrate the life of Doc Holliday, the legendary gunfighter whom the actor famously portrayed in the 1993 movie set in the Old West town.

Kilmer participated in several events at Doc HolliDays, including riding in a horse-drawn stagecoach while serving as grand marshal in a parade. He also met with fans and attend a birthday party for Holliday, who was born on Aug. 14.

Tombstone was once a bustling mining town that became synonymous with the wild west following the shootout at the O.K. Corral involving Holliday and Wyatt Earp. The mines shut down years ago, but the town near the U.S.-Mexico border remains a popular tourist destination.

The town saw a surge in popularity after the hit 1993 movie “Tombstone,” starring Kilmer, Kurt Russell and Sam Elliot. The movie was filmed at various locations in Arizona, but not in Tombstone.

Kilmer visited the town during the making of the movie but hasn’t been back since.

“He can’t wait til he gets here,” said Bruce Nielsen, president of the local Lions Club, which is organizing the parade. “He’s excited.”

Gunfight re-enactments are the event’s big draw, but Nielsen said Kilmer will not participate in them.

Many of the Doc HolliDays events are sold out, generating concerns about crowd sizes.

“I am concerned that the town is going to be overwhelmed,” Nielsen said.