There is much to see and do at Rendezvous! Far left: A young voyageur relaxing between activities.
Load up your canoe, your car, or whatever gets you to Grand Portage and prepare to embark on an historical adventure! August 7-9 marks the annual Rendezvous Days and Pow Wow at Grand Portage. Voyageur songs, Ojibwe drums, and Highland bagpipes mix as the Montreal canoe brigades, native peoples, fur traders, and North West Company partners gather for their annual rendezvous and traditional Ojibwe Pow Wow.
Join us at Grand Portage National Monument for this historical celebration. Music, historical demonstrations, and games of skill await you. Watch and learn about traditional lacrosse and cheer on your favorite team in a live lacrosse match, join us for a music jam 18th century-style on the front lawn of the Great Hall, and participate in workshops on Ojibwe style finger weaving, and historic trade beads. Learn about the daily lives of Ojibwe people, French voyageurs, and the European partners of the famed British North West Company.
Special activities at Rendezvous this year include 18th century music presentations for kids and adults by Rodney Brown, iconic folk singer from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Brown will present a concert for kids at 11 a.m. on Friday, August 7. He’ll perform for all later in the day along with musicians Kelly and Ray James and other talented musicians in our 18th Century Music Jam. These professional musicians mix it up and entertain all with a wide variety of music to echo the very tunes their predecessors played to regale those attending Rendezvous in the 1790s.
Above: These lovely young shawl dancers bring energy to the Grand Portage Traditional Pow Wow.
On Saturday afternoon and evening, the North Shore’s own musical powerhouse Over the Waterfall will play tunes for all to dance to under the summer moon over Grand Portage Bay. Come dance and enjoy the music!
In addition to the music, demonstrations and contests, you can visit with nationally renowned historic firearms expert Mark Sage, and distinguished fiber arts specialists Tom Conde and Carol James. Event favorites, back again this year, include tinsmiths, blacksmiths, and spring pole lathe craftsmen.
Left: Check out the blacksmith demos and more.
Explore a reconstructed 1790s fur trade depot and our historic voyageurs’ encampment. Try your hand at making birch bark boxes, fire starting with flint and steel, and watch as the roughest men of the Old Northwest and the daintiest of ladies compete in a voyageur pentathlon. Come test your throwing arm in our “Throw the Dough” contest.
The event is open to the general public, with a scavenger hunt, a bead hunt, and a cornhusk Voyageur/ doll workshop especially for youngsters. National Monument rangers and costumed historical re-enactors help bring history alive in this fun-filled weekend event. This event is free and open to everyone.
The Ojibwe pow-wow is hosted by the Grand Portage band, and includes traditional food, music, craft stands, softball tournament, a turkey shoot, races, and much more.
This is the weekend to be in Grand Portage — please join us!
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