Step back in time to life in the 1840s at the Annual Fort Atkinson Rendezvous Sept. 29-30. The event takes place at the historic Fort Atkinson State Preserve in Winneshiek County.
This year’s rendezvous will focus on the theme of “trade blankets,” which were an important item for trading with Native Americans. Trade blankets were made both by Native American tribes, and by the French and British traders throughout the region. The rendezvous will feature several examples of trade blankets, as well as other items that were frequently traded in the 1800s.
The Fort Atkinson Rendezvous is a free, family-friendly event. Throughout the weekend, visitors can experience cannon drills, anvil shoots, period instruments and music, a flint and steel contest, primitive bow shoot, 1840s kid’s games, cooking contest, melodrama and a bullwhip contest.
All participants wear clothes and uniforms of the 1840s and have trade blankets on display with thousands of period artifacts such as guns, tomahawks, knives, cannons, furs and supplies. Period crafts of all types are demonstrated throughout the weekend.
Event hours are 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, and 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30.
Fort Atkinson was an active military post for the expanding United States from 1840 to 1849. The purpose of the fort was to keep the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) tribe on neutral ground in the Iowa Territory and to keep peace on the frontier between the Ho-Chunk, Sioux, Sauk and Meskwaki tribes and Euro-American settlers.
The fort was acquired by the State of Iowa in 1921 and the Fort Atkinson State Preserve Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.
For more information about the rendezvous and history of the fort, visit https://www.fortatkinsoniowa.com/rendezvous-days/rendezvous-days-info. The weekend rendezvous activities are sponsored by the Friends of Fort Atkinson and the Iowa DNR and are free and open to the public.