Arrowtown 150 co-ordinator Julie Hughes said the "Arrowtown Needs You" public meeting would be held on Wednesday night at the Athenaeum Hall to discuss plans for the re-enactment on October 20 and seek volunteers.
Along with the 200 people required for the re-enactment, more helpers were required for behind-the-scenes work, from helping with costuming and staging to "pouring cups of tea for volunteers", Mrs Hughes said.
"The live theatre - with no rehearsals - involves people with wagons, on horses and anything else that could go wrong, but it's been done twice before beautifully and we're going to carry it off as best we can ... but we need help.
"People can be as involved as little or as much as they want, we're just asking people to come along and say that they're supporting it.
"Someone might want to be panning for gold or on horseback; it could be somebody who wants to help with costumes or somebody who knows how to build and help out doing the facade.
"There is a whole list of [people required] - a miner who wants to grow a beard and walk up the river with everyone ... we also need a volunteer to play the role of Maori Jack.
"It's really just a way for everyone to get involved."
While there were still eight months until the re-enactment was staged, it was important that organisers knew now there was going to be sufficient support.
The last re-enactment was done 25 years ago and Mrs Hughes said the 2012 version would follow the same formula.
"What we want to do is create a wonderful memory for everybody involved.
"This isn't just a celebration for people who have lived here their entire generation, it's a celebration for all Arrowtowners, whether they've been here one week or several generations.
"This is Arrowtown's 150th anniversary of gold ... it's our time to shine and show the rest of New Zealand how fantastic we are and come together as a community.
"We have grown so much. It's important for our kids to know the significance of different sites along the Arrow River and the Chinese Village.
"It's really important we get that through to our next generation ... they are from all over the world and it's important that they take part in Arrowtown's history because they're a part of it now."
Following the October 20 re-enactment, guests will be taken to the Chinese Village for the official opening of the Chinese Village Theatre, complete with Chinese dragons, lions and dancers.
Present will be the Chinese ambassador and selected invited guests.
Mrs Hughes said Prime Minister John Key had also been invited.
• The Arrowtown Needs You meeting will begin in the Athenaeum Hall at 7.30pm on Wednesday.
