May 9, 2009: Santa Fe Trail Caravan Take a 3 mile hike down the Santa Fe Trail behind an ox-driven Conestoga wagon. Park interpreters will demonstrate 1840s trail life. The caravan will leave Sierra Vista Overlook, 13 miles south of La Junta, Colorado on Highway 350 at 10:00 a.m. and travel to the Timpas Picnic Area. Shuttle service will be provided. A special Trail program will be performed at the Timpas Picnic Area.
NPS Photo
Topographical Engineers survey the Santa Fe Trail.
June 5 – 6, 2009: Living History Encampment Visit the 1840s with teachers, students and living history volunteers and staff perfecting their 19th century skills. Participants-in-training attend the full June 4-7 workshop which requires pre-registration by application. Living history training will be given in the trader, trapper-hunter, blacksmith, carpenter, laborer-domestic, and topographical engineer roles. Participation is limited. For information, call (719) 383-5023.
NPS
Blacksmith shop fun
July 11, 2009: Kid's Quarters Seven to eleven year-old children are invited to "step back in time" and experience the life of a trapper, trader, laborer, craftsman, Indian, or soldier. The program emphasizes the historic values of Bent's Old Fort, cultural relationships and work performed in frontier western America. Pre-registration by application is required.
NPS Photo
Adobe work on an horno oven.
September 19, 2009: Hispanic Heritage Celebration - The rich and colorful history of Mexico's frontier come alive with period adobe work, music and dance, trading cooking, storytelling, livestock use demonstrations and other special programs and exhibits.
NPS Photo
A trapper tell a story of his escape from a grizzly bear.
October 10, 2009: Fur Trade Encampment The park’s main living history event again takes place in the fall, and this year celebrates the traders, trappers and tribes furn trading at Bent's Fort. Their camps, set up near the fort, will be open for touring. All together over 50 living history volunteers bring the post back to life during this major event! For more information, call (719) 383-5023.
NPS Photo
Visitors are boarding the wagon for a ride over to the river and through the woods.
December 4 – 5, 2009: HolidayCelebration Witness for yourself the joys, pleasures and pastimes of the 1840s at an isolated trading post. The spirit of the season comes alive with wagon rides, games, toy making and other holiday festivities. The event begins Friday evening December 5 with candlelight tours of the fort and continues all through Saturday, December 6 culminating with another evening of candlelight tours. For reservations for the evening tours call (719) 383-5026.
Find Events at Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
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National Park Service - Events
Old Time Fourth of July Celebration 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM Visitors are treated to the 1840`s ways of celebrating the Fourth including period games, speeches, parade and a 27 star flag give-away. more...
Saturday 7/11/2009
Kid`s Quarters 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Children relive the life of the frontiersmen and women for a half of a day in the trading post and camps. more...
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Did You Know?
Bent's Fort was on the boundary with Mexico in the 1830s and 1840s. It was 600 miles from the nearest town in Missouri.
