The Green River
Rendezvous Pageant is proudly presented by the Green River Rendezvous
Pageant Association, a volunteer organization dedicated to keeping the
Pageant tradition alive.
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Trappers charge into the Rendezvous scene.
Indian children play games.
A mountain man and his jug are seldom parted.
Fiddle music accompanies the pageant drama.
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What is the Green River Rendezvous Pageant?
The Pageant is a way to relive the history of the mountain man
and the Rocky Mountain fur trade as it occurred in the Upper
Green River Valley. The Green River Rendezvous Pageant is held
every year on the second full weekend in July.
In 2008,
the Pageant will take place Sunday, July 13th at 1 p.m. at
the Rendezvous grounds in Pinedale, Wyoming.
Since 1936,
residents of scenic Sublette County in
western Wyoming have united in July to re-enact events of the early
1800s that opened up the American West to trade and settlement.
Rugged trappers and explorers like Jim Bridger, Kit Carson, Jedediah
Smith and John C. Fremont carved their legends in this historic
region. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Wind River Mountains,
Pinedale's dramatization brings together mountain
men,
American Indians,
Father Joseph
DeSmet and many others who played a pivotal role here. The
Pageant is a "must
see" for the entire family. It is proudly hosted by the dedicated
volunteers of the Green River Rendezvous Pageant Association,
who make their own historically accurate costumes, and who produce
and perform the Pageant.
What's a Rendezvous?
The first Green
River Rendezvous in our area was held in 1833 near where the
town of Daniel stands today. During the fur trade era of the
1820s-1840s, six of these summer gatherings were held near this
locale. The cry "Meet me on the Green!" was a reminder
and a reassurance to trappers, who spent isolated winters gathering
beaver pelts, and to traders, who traveled many miles on hazardous trails.
Mountain men, explorers and Indians all gathered "below the Green" to
barter, sell, and swipe items such as skins, pelts, guns, trinkets and
necessary provisions for the coming winter. The Rendezvous lasted anywhere
from a few days to several months and was a time for trappers to cash
in hard-earned furs, renew acquaintances with old friends, tell
tall tales, and celebrate another year of survival with plenty of rowdy
fun.
What Else is There to Do in Pinedale?
The Pageant is surrounded by an extended weekend of related activities.
Please check the schedule
for special programs and events. Most are free; some require a small
fee to participate.
Useful Area Links:
Museum of
the Mountain Man
Sublette Tourism &
Visitor Information
Sublette County
Chamber of Commerce
Pinedale Online!
Thank you to the Sublette County Journal
for the use of Pageant photos.
Keeping
the Tradition Alive!
Shoshoni village at the Rendezvous camp.
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Early missionaries Henry and Eliza Spaulding and Narcissa and
Marcus Whitman are portrayed by locals.
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