34th Annual Old Wadena Rendezvous Set to Go Underway This Summer

The Old Wadena Rendezvous in Staples will be coming back to central Minnesota later this summer.

The gathering has been going on since 1992, but the history on display dates all the back to the 1840s.

“We’ve evolved over the years into re-enactors dressed in period costumes prior to 1840s trapping era,” explained Tom Crawford, a former Old Wadena Society Board member.

“We had one lady two, three years ago, she’s a hands-on person,” added Old Wadena Society Board president and chairman Darlys Hamberg. “She’ll have people from the crowds come right in and start helping her tan rabbit hide, squirrel hide—whatever she has at that time.”

The rendezvous at the Old Wadena County Park will offer an abundance of activities, from beekeeping and blacksmithing to herbology, the study of herbal medicine.

“It opens up that door that people are looking for, for new things to learn, especially on the history end,” stated Hamberg. “There are so many areas like this around this area that are usually hidden, and this one has been brought forth. It’s got a nationally designation as a historical site, so we try to keep it to that purpose.”

And while the rendezvous has endured its hurdles, like the tornado that struck the park in 2022, the Old Wadena Society continues to persist.

“The year after, we were able to get it going again,” Hamberg said. “I had people coming, just wanting to see the tornado damage, and then walking out realizing, ‘This is special. We’re going to come back next year.’ That opened it up, and the educational stuff is part [of] why not only is it the rendezvous, but we also have a nature bog walk.”

The Old Wadena Society serves to preserve, protect, and share knowledge of the natural and historical treasures of old Wadena while also encouraging folk arts for the education and enjoyment of everyone.

“They’ll go by something and you can them just stop, dead stride, and start talking to people, and you can see them smiling, hands-on,” Hamberg said. “We’re here and history’s prevalent, and we’re trying to keep it going and you learn from history. It’s either good or it’s bad. And you just keep going forward with what knowledge you have.”

The Old Wadena Rendezvous will get underway August 9th and 10th at the Old Wadena County Park in Staples. More information on the weekend’s events can be found their website.