Rendezvous Set For June 12–15
One of the region’s most beloved annual traditions returns as Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site hosts its highly anticipated Fort Union Rendezvous from June 12–15.
The four-day living history celebration brings together historical interpreters, traders, craftsmen and visitors for an immersive experience of the fur trade era on the Upper Missouri.
Festivities begin with a family favorite: Kids’ Day on Thursday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Central Time. Designed for school groups, families and curious young minds, Kids’ Day offers hands-on activities and engaging presentations that bring 19th-century frontier life to life. From fur handling to traditional crafts and interactive storytelling, children will be transported back to the heyday of the trading post — and every child who participates walks away with a special prize!
Join us and celebrate a 19th-century Fur Trade Fair that includes a wide variety of period arts, crafts and music. This isn’t just a reenactment — it’s a full sensory journey into the past. Watch blacksmiths at the forge, hear the crack of flintlocks, see hand-stitched trade goods on display and enjoy music echoing from another time.
The Fort Union Rendezvous is the site’s largest annual event, held every June, when Fort Union comes alive and most closely mirrors the bustling trade season of the American Fur Trade of the mid-1800s. Over 100 reenactors from across the United States and Canada gather to demonstrate traditional skills and life-ways, offering visitors a rare opportunity to step into a world where cultures met, traded and shaped the course of history.
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is located on the North Dakota– Montana border, approximately 25 miles southwest of Williston, N.D., off ND Highway 1804. Situated along the Upper Missouri River, it marks the historic location of the most important fur trade post on the northern plains from 1828 to 1867.
For more information, visit the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site at www.nps.gov/fous/.
