A Fun Day at the Big Island Rendezvous

The Big Island Rendezvous and Festival, in Albert Lea, enjoyed a huge turnout yesterday as Mother Nature gave us a beautiful sunny autumn day. The grounds were a little muddy from the rain that fell all week but the enthusiastic crowd that was on hand didn't seem to mind as they made their way from merchant to merchant checking out their wares, took part in demonstrations or enjoyed food at one of the many concession stands set up near the main entertainment stage.

This Minnesota’s Living History Festival transports visitors back in time to relive early American history. My wife and I watched a demonstration of how to load and aim a cannon and then witnessed the deafening roar as it was fired. We saw merchants of the time create their goods for purchase in front of the very same tents they spent the weekend in and I learned how to handle a pike in battle.

It had been a long time since I last attended the Big Island Rendezvous and was surprised by how much it's grown over the years. I would guess that there were two to three times the merchants, demonstrations and reenactments that I had seen in the past.

If you didn't get a chance to go this year, make sure you pencil it in for next Fall as you won't be disappointed in the fun you'll have.