Green River Rendezvous

Festival Location: Pinedale, WY, USA

Festival State: Wyoming Festivals

Festival Type(s): Indigenous Fest , Historical Festivals , Traditional Festivals

Festival Photos of Green River Rendezvous: gallery 1

Meet me on the Green

by © Bob Brooke 2008

Kick up the dust. Put on your best cowboy duds and get ready for some real down-home Americana at the Green River Rendezvous in Pinedale, Wyoming, a annual pageant offering a colorful collection of mountain men, explorers, Indians and well orchestrated drama showing the history of the region with a western bent.

It's a family thing. Grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles, cousins-some old-timers, others so young they can just about comprehend what it's all about. Everyone has a good time. It's also about people carrying on the traditions of their ancestors. It's a part of life here in Pinedale, a town of log cabins and pine buildings set in a valley at over 7,000 feet in western Wyoming, surrounded by the jagged peaks of the Rockies, their outline like the teeth of an old saw.

The Green River Rendezvous, held each year on the second weekend in July, relives the early mountain man history of the area. Originally, the Green River Rendezvous was an annual event where mountain men, trappers, travelers and Indians all gathered in a valley "below the Green" River to barter, trade, sell, and swap skins, pelts, guns, jewelry and whatever else they needed. The Rendezvous lasted anywhere from a few days to several months in length and was a time for getting new supplies, renewing acquaintances with old friends, story swapping, drinking and general rowdiness. This year the Rendezvous will be held from July 12-15.

The centerpiece of this four-day event is hour-long Green River Rendezvous Pageant, in which local residents re-create this rendezvous event in original costume at the rodeo grounds in Pinedale. The free Pageant gives a lively, historical and authentic performance of this rare event in western history.

Over 70 performers, stage hands and support personnel bring the Old West to life. A score of horse teams pull all types of wagons, including the covered wagons that brought people to this valley long ago. An authentic Native American Lakota village with ten tepees form the backdrop for wild and woolly action. Thundering hooves of galloping horses bring the panorama of history alive to wide-eyed youngsters and their parents, making this a real family event.

But there's more to the Rendezvous than just the pageant. The Pelt and Plew Social and Buffalo Feast, held on Saturday at 5 P.M. at the Museum of the Mountain Man, features put roasted buffalo, trapper fruit, and mouth-watering Indian bread. Everyone helps out. It's a true all American town social, a thread of life here in western Wyoming.

Throughout the weekend there's also the Faire Wynds Historical Entertainment, a theatrical experience of the 1800s.

Another highlight is the Plains Indian Encampment and Living History Programs by Michael Terry, also free throughout the weekend. Native American Historian Michael "Bad Hand" Terry, an historian, replica maker, author and actor/stuntman of Seminole descent, offers programs within the small Plains Indian encampment set up on land next to the Museum of the Mountain Man. The village will contain numerous tepees of various sizes, wickiups, sweatlodges, brush arbors and meat drying racks. One of the tepees will be completely furnished with all of the material culture items that would be found in a typical lodge. All items have been meticulously researched and made by Michael. Highlighting this year's program is a brain-tanned, sinew sewn buffalo hide tepee, the only touring tepee of its kind. When it's all over and the crowds head home, a sign at the end of town says it all: "Come Again, Partner."

Check out Bob Brooke's wonderful sites featuring more of his writing and phootography at http://www.bobbrooke.com, http://www.therealmexico.com and http://www.allscandinavia.com. All three are updated regularly.

by Bob Brooke

Festival Photos of Green River Rendezvous: gallery 1