Minnesota Prairie Roots

I’M INTERESTED IN HISTORY, although not as much as my husband. He reads history-themed books, remembers historical dates and facts, and leaves a museum with more info imprinted on his brain than me. I learn about and retain history better when I can actually “see” and experience it. That’s why I find events like the recent Riverside Rendezvous and History Festival in Faribault especially appealing.

That same connective shift is something I see happening more and more in history centers and museums. And that’s a good thing—to have interactive and creative exhibits that draw people into history. It is via connecting with our past that we begin to understand today.

After attending the Riverside Rendezvous, I hold a deeper understanding of early life in Minnesota, specifically the Faribault area. Fur trading shaped the local economy. Those long ago fur traders and Indigenous Peoples got along, realizing they could help one another by exchanging goods. It seemed to work for a long time, until European settlers moved in, pushing the Dakota off their native land. Cultures clashed. War ensued. Everything changed.

Change is inevitable. The Rendezvous provided ample visual evidence of that by focusing on everyday life in the 1700s and 1800s. Each encampment participant highlighted a specific area of yesteryear. And by that I mean a skill—like pounding metal, stitching leather, shaping hats and much more.

That included candle making, something my kindergarten-aged grandson tried. Under the watchful guidance of Rice County Historical Society Curator Jenna Nelson, Isaac dipped a wick into a pot of hot wax and then into a jar of cold water, repeating the process until he had a thickened candle.

Isaac also tried his hand at stitching a leather pouch, rug weaving and playing with toys of yesteryear. He smiled the entire time. He is very much a hands-on kid who loves creating. His older sister, not so much.

But Izzy did race to a tent full of books and happily accepted rock candy from a costumed character at the axe-throwing station.

I give great credit to the Rendezvous re-enactors who engaged with all ages, who clearly know their crafts and who were excited to share their knowledge of both skills and history with attendees.

And that they played the parts by dressing in period costume certainly made the experience real, as in really stepping back in time. Just ignore the ringing cellphones.

I gathered in chatting with these historians that attending rendezvous is part of their way of life. They become like family to one another. I expect their love of these history festivals grows with each experience, each interaction. They are a friendly lot. Engaging.

This approach to history carried me back to the past in a way I’ve not previously experienced. Visually, I saw history unfold before my eyes at the Riverside Rendezvous. And that I’ll remember.

FYI: The Rice County Historical Society organized this first rendezvous along the Cannon River in Faribault’s North Alexander Park. Given the success of this year’s event, they are planning a second rendezvous in May 2026. To read my first of two posts about the 2025 Rendezvous, click here.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling