Visit www.aRiverThruHistory.com for more information

“A River Thru History” Rendezvous, Sept. 9-10, 2023

Columbia Woods, Willow Springs

The 30th  Des Plaines Valley Rendezvous, “A River Thru History”, sponsored by the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor Civic Center Authority and the Forest Preserves of Cook County, will be held from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, September 9, 2023,  and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday, September 10, 2023 at Columbia Woods in Willow Springs.  The Rendezvous celebrates the early explorers and traders in the Chicago Region with re-enactors portraying life along Chicago’s waterways from 1673 to 1833. 

This year’s event will feature commemorations of the 350th anniversary of the passage of Marquette and Jolliet thru the Chicago Portage,

The event will have Native American and fur-trade era crafts, fife and drum corps, voyageur encampments, small native animals exhibits, food vendors, games, hikes, historic presentations, paddling re-enactments of the French Fur Trade era, canoe rides in a 34 foot long recreation of a fur-trade era canoe, and historic woods walk.

The Rendezvous is a great outing opportunity for families, Cub Packs, Scouts BSA units, Venturers, & Explorers.  Cub scouts attending will be able to satisfy history and nature related advancement requirements,

For ticket pricing including discounts, event parking and additional details about the event visit the event web site:  www.ariverthruhistory.com .

Service Opportunity:

 “A River Thru History” Sept. 9-10, 2023

Scouts from the Pathway to Adventure Council have been asked to help staging the 30th  Des Plaines River Valley Rendezvous, “A River Thru History”, sponsored by the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor Civic Center Authority and the Cook County Forest Preserves. Help is needed beginning with setup at 8:30am on Saturday morning (Sept 9), through take-down late Sunday afternoon.  Units may sign up for all or portions of the time.

 Scout Troops, Venture Crews and Explorer Posts are wanted to help with a range of tasks including parking lot setup Saturday morning, setting up tents and sawhorses at the admission area, passing out flyers and trading passes, helping with bus loading at the event parking at the UPS facility on Willow Springs Road, serving as docents giving orientation talks on buses to the event, acting as town criers at the event, doing a demonstration of fire-starting by flint and steel and fire by friction, water sales, helping run skill events, and taking roles in re-enacting at the event at Columbia Woods.

This is a great opportunity to give visibility to, and promote scouting through our participation in and support of a popular local history event.  We will also have a table to promote local scouting at the main event pavilion in Columbia Woods.

All scouts helping with the event will have free admission.  Units helping with the event will have the opportunity to camp for free on Friday and Saturday night at Columbia Woods adjacent to the event site, or at a backup site, nearby Willow Springs Woods.  NOTE: BSA Camping rules for unit coordinated activity will apply!!!

For additional information on the event, to sign up a unit to help, and for details on camping, call, text, or email Marko Magajne:  (708) 218-8560, mfmagajne@gmail.com.  Additional details regarding the rendezvous will be provided at district kick-off events in August and in future PTAC news-letters.