Grand Portage National Monument Rendezvous Days

Newton, George A.. 1885?. "Ojibwe women holding sticks to play Double Ball, Grand Portage, Minnesota." University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, University Archives, Accessed November 18, 2025. https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/umd:5393

Minnesota Digital Library, Public Domain

 

 

Grand Portage Rendezvous Days is Free and Open to the Public

Step back in time to 1797, when the Rendezvous was in full swing and Grand Portage bustled with life. More than a thousand people worked, traded, and gathered within the palisades and the surrounding shore. North West Company agents, clerks, and partners arrived by canoe to conduct business and celebrate a successful trading season. Voyageurs paddled in with furs from the north and trade goods from the east. Anishinaabe, Cree, and other Native families came to exchange goods, reconnect with relatives, and renew friendships—all here at Grand Portage.

During today's Rendezvous Days, costumed interpreters bring this 18th-century fur trade world to life. Park rangers and volunteer reenactors offer an engaging look into the daily experiences, relationships, and cultural vibrancy that shaped Grand Portage in the late 1700s.

Rendezvous Days 2026:
Games & Entertainment of the Fur Trade Era

August 7, 8, 9, 2026

Grand Portage Rendezvous Days is a celebration where friends and family return year after year to attend and participate in events held in the community. Held on the second weekend of August, this event is one you do not want to miss! Music, dancing, games, and craft demonstrations ensure an exciting visit to Grand Portage National Monument.

• Admission is free. Visitors are not required to wear period clothing. Come as you are!
• No vendors, demonstrations only
• Visit our Eating & Sleeping page for information about where to stay.
• Directions to the Monument from Duluth, Minnesota.
• No pets (except service animals) within the stockade (Historic Depot).

For more information:

Questions? Please call 218-475-0123 or email us.

Rendezvous Days Pow Wow

The Pow Wow, hosted by the Grand Portage Band, is located just up the road within walking distance of the Monument.

• For questions about the Pow Wow, including vendors, please contact the Reservation Tribal Council office of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa at 218-475-2277.
• For details about the Pow Wow and schedule see the Grand Portage Rendezvous Days Facebook Page.
• Service animals are allowed outside of the arena as long as they have their vests on. All dogs are prohibited within the dance arena.

 

Map of Grand Portage during Rendezvous Days

NPS Graphic

Map of the Grand Portage National Monument Grounds Including Historic Encampment

Other Grand Portage maps

 

Additional Map Alternative Text

 

Rendezvous Days Schedule 2026

Friday

10 am: Stone Bridge Singers Drum Ceremony - Great Hall Lawn
11 am, 12 & 1 pm: Cornhusk Dolls - Great Hall Porch
11:30 am: History and Playing Cribbage - Great Hall
11:30 am: Clockwork Clown - Historic Encampment
12:30 pm: Historic 18th Century - Billiards Great Hall
1 pm: The Joy of Whizzers - Warehouse
1 pm: Jeu du Trac/Shut the Box & Gaming Tokens - Historic Encampment
1:30 pm: Fiddles and the Fur Trade - Great Hall
2 pm: Historic Camp Tour - Meet at Information Tent
2 pm: Children’s Scavenger Hunt - Historic Encampment
2:30 pm: Anishinaabe Games - Ojibwe Village
3 pm: Historic Camp Tour - Meet at Information Tent
3 pm: Clockwork Clown - Gatehouse Area
4 pm: Rugged Voyageur Contest - Inside Stockade/West Gate
4 pm: Visit to the Dye Pots - Historic Encampment
5 pm: Monument Closes Thank you for visiting!

All Day:

• Visit the Billiard Table and Games Table in the Great Hall.
• Learn about archaeology at the lake gate.
• Look inside the palisade for tin/blacksmithing, and Lacrosse stick making.

 

Saturday

9:30 am: Children’s Bead Hunt - Historic Encampment
10 am: English vs French Checkers - Great Hall
10:30 am: Camp Chore Challenge Contest - Inside the West Gate
11 am: Historic Camp Tour - Meet at Information Tent
11 am: Learn Anishinaabe: “Language of Games” - Workshop Tent
11 am: The Great Lacrosse Match - Great Hall Yard
11:30 am: Historic Garden Tour - Kitchen Garden
11:30 am: Clockwork Clown - Historic Encampment
12:30 pm: Play Boule! / Lawn Bowling - Flagpole
1 pm: Historic Billiards - Great Hall
1:30 pm: Anishinaabe Games - Ojibwe Village
2 pm: A Visit to the Dye Pots - Historic Encampment
2:30 pm: Fiddles and the Fur Trade - Great Hall
3 pm: Clockwork Clown - Gatehouse Area
3 pm: Historic Camp Tour - Meet at Information Tent
3:30 pm: Crown & Anchor/ Historic Dice Game - Workshop Tent
4 pm: Over the Waterfall: Live Music - Great Hall Porch
5 pm: Monument Closes Thank you for visiting!

8-10 pm: Live Music & Dancing, Open to all, Great Hall Lawn

All Day:

• Visit the Billiard Table and Games Table in the Great Hall.
• Learn about archaeology at the lake gate.
• Look inside the palisade for tin/blacksmithing, and Lacrosse stick making.

Sunday

11 am: Flint & Steel Fire Contest - Historic Encampment
12 pm: Clockwork Clown - Workshop tent

 

 

Thank you to our generous sponsor!

If you’re interested in finding out how you can support Grand Portage National Monument, please visit our partner, National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation (NPLSF), at nplsf.org for more information. The mission of NPLSF is to provide financial support for projects and programs that preserve the natural resources and cultural heritage of all five national parks along Lake Superior. NPSLF is charged with their stewardship and is committed to their long term support, preservation, and enhancement.