The Winneconne Historical Society is hosting the Wolf River Rendezvous & Frontier Encampment adjacent to their museum grounds in Marble Park, Winneconne. The early 1800s historical encampment will include a Tee Pee Exhibit, Dugout Canoe, black powder dry musket demonstrations and field cannon demonstrations along with many mercantile traders and food vendors.
Rendezvous’ are based on the old American frontier tradition that was prevalent of the early 1700s to the mid 1800s where fur traders, explorers, frontiersmen, backwoodsmen, mountain men, hunters, soldiers, scouts and native American Indians would gather together and engage in bartering, trading, backwoods competitions, target shooting, knife & tomahawk competitions and also celebrate with music, dance, drink and storytelling. Rendezvous’ derive from the French word meaning “appointed place of the meeting”. These seasonal gatherings originated so fur traders & frontier explorers could sell or trade their pelts they collected throughout the year and buy the necessary supplies they needed for the upcoming year.
Today’s rendezvous’ are much less raucous and the re-enactors are focused on low key socialization and engaged in everyday duties that frontier pioneers experienced. It is a living history lesson. Visitors are encouraged to walk through the encampment and interact with the participants that are authentically dressed in early 1800s period clothing. Mercantile traders are set up in canvas tents offering blankets, beads, pelts and types of early American goods. Food vendors are available demonstrating how to make fry bread, home made root beer, roasted corn. Small camp re-enactors illustrating the skills, & trades of the frontier like rope & candle making.
A great way to celebrate the Fourth of July.
Educational, Family Friendly, Unique.
The Winneconne Historical Society Museum will also be open for visitors during the encampment. Tour an 1800’s Railroad Depot, One Room Schoolhouse, Country Home and Steamboat House.
Free Admission
