Redbud Trail Rendezvous

Redbud Trail Rendezvous brings frontier living, music and dancing

Redbud Trail Rendezvous honors Abraham Lincoln

The Redbud Trail Rendezvous will honor Abraham Lincoln by dancing to his favorite tune "Skip to My Lou" in the Frontier Frolic. Lincoln was born in 1809 so this is his 200th birthday. He lived in southern Indiana for 14 years from 1816-1830.

Re-enactors from five states are gearing up for the Redbud Trail Rendezvous April. 24-25. Every spring it is one of the first outdoor events of the season. This event is brimming with frontier history and often brings surprises for the participants and public.

The April weather varies from chilly to warm – we are hoping for warm - but always the redbud trees and wild flowers in the woods are in full bloom and it is a lovely natural setting. Wild ducks, wild turkey and eagle nests are seen on the grounds of the Fulton County Historical Society where the event is held from 10 to 5 on Saturday and from 10 to 4 on Sunday. FCHS grounds are four miles north of Rochester on U.S. 31 The Festival will be held in the Living History Village just south of the Round Barn Museum this year due to major flooding in the festival area. Rain or Shine the festival will go on.

Music and dance will be performed in the upper level of the round barn a different program every half hour. Programs include Mark Gropp with bagpipe music, Frontier Frolic - pioneer dancing by the teenage re-enactors, Liza and Mark Woolever – music and songs, and Indian dances. Shirley Kern Needham will show a red-tailed hawk named Phoenix and a red-shouldered hawk named Keeah and tell about habitat, hunting traits, and spiritual importance to the native tribes.

People dressed in authentic pre-1840 outfits demonstrate many traditional crafts. Crafts included are flintknapping, beadwork, spinning and weaving, leather, wood carving, blacksmith, blade smith, fingerweaving, and much more. Members of the Metocinyah Longrifles will be here along with a wigwam village by Norm Rhoads and Grave’s brothers. Booths will also be set up in the buildings in the Living History Village.

Members of the Seven Years War Time Period will be set up in the Living History Village and will be doing training demonstrations such as marching, canon firing and horse training and weaving in the Log Cabin.

Many trade goods and hand-made items used for frontier living will be offered for sale or barter in merchant’s historic marquee tents and by blanket traders. Many of the traders have Indian ancestry. Traders come from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and other states.

Muzzle loading shooting contests will be not be held due to location change.

Foods cooked over wood fires will include ham and beans, vegetable stew, buffalo burgers, sassafras tea, breakfast of biscuits and sausage gravy. - Fulton County Historical Society booth; Carmel Corn - made in big iron kettles by Dennis Thompson, Converse; homemade fudge and cookies - Mark Gropp, Wolcottville will be in Old Time General Store in Living History Village.

Admission is $3 for adults ages 12 and older, kids age 6 to 11 $1, free for those 5 and under. Proceeds enable the historical society to operate the museum and preserve history.

There is no admission charge to see the Fulton County Museum at the north end of the grounds. Volunteers can earn free admission to the Redbud Trail Rendezvous by working half a day. To volunteer, call the museum at 574-223-4436. Free parking is provided on FCHS grounds. The grounds are handicapped accessible. Plenty of free benches are available to sit and rest.

Pictures available upon request or you can use pictures from our web page www.icss.net/~fchs/redbud.htm

Red Bud Trail Rendezvous Schedule

Schedule subject to change.

Click here to view photo album.

Want to participate? Send for an application!

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