Mountain Man Festival
According the travel information website 2Camels.com, mountain man festivals celebrate and recreate life in the Old West. There are many such rendezvous throughout the United States where re-enactors dress as mountain men, explorers, trappers and Indians to carry on the traditions of their ancestors.
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Locations
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According to The Free Library, there are more than 50 annual mountain man events throughout the West. Examples of the mountain man festivals, or rendezvous, are the Rocky Mountain National Rendezvous in Creede, Colorado, the Green River Rendezvous in Pinedale, Wyoming, and the Massacre Rocks Rendezvous in American Falls, Idaho. Fort Bridger Rendezvous in Wyoming is another big attraction, along with the smaller Little Niangua Mountain Man Festival in Missouri.
Purpose
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Mountain man festivals relive the daily lives of the early pioneers using traditional dress, lodges, storytellers and re-enactors to provide authentic detail. At least half are staged by clubs of buck-skinners, which comprise anyone re-enacting the western fur trade that reached its height in the United States from the 17th to the early 19th century, according to The Free Library.
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History
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The original gatherings were rowdy affairs where mountain men and trappers bartered, traded and sold pelts and guns. It was also a time for swapping stories, drinking and carousing.
Events
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Mountain folk re-enactors test their skill in black-powder shoots, tomahawk and knife-throwing contests and fire-starting contests. There's often a Trader's Row selling folk art. Accommodation for attendees can be in tee-pees and tents with campfires. Popular contests at a mountain man festival include best costume, tallest tale and ugliest face.
Requirements
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Visitors in modern dress are permitted on certain days, but 21st century elements are usually hidden. Check requirements before you visit a mountain man festival. However, events are informal and suited to women and men as well as families.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit mountain shoes image by Marius Lazin from Fotolia.com
