Reenacting the pre-industrial era at Port Oneida

From staff reports
The Port Oneida Rural Historic District in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (the local branch of the National Park) will come alive Friday and Saturday, August 10 and 11, during the sixth annual Port Oneida Fair. The two-day event will showcase the crafts, skills and traditions that made rural life productive and enjoyable in the late 19th and early 20th century. The fair, sponsored by the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes and five other partner groups, will take place at five farms and a one-room schoolhouse. Part of the enjoyment of the fair is moving between the farms by walking through the fields, biking, taking a shuttle bus or horse and wagon. There is no admission charge to the fair, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Additional detailed information can be found at www.leelanau.com/fair. Among the new features added to this year’s fair are an antique fire truck and a visit by Mark Twain.

As part of this year’s Fair, the Manitou Music Festival will also present Nobody’s Darlin’ in concert on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. at the outdoor stage behind Lake Street Studios in Glen Arbor. According to festival director TJ Ewing, “Nobody’s Darlin’ are a perfect fit as a capstone concert for the Port Oneida Fair. This all-woman, five-piece, string band, based in Grand Rapids, specializes in Old Time Americana, Bluegrass, Gospel, and throws in some classic country tunes just for fun.” Watching a performance by Nobody’s Darlin’ conjures up the essence of a simpler time, before electric guitars and pyrotechnics. The sound of Nobody’s Darlin’ strong female voices meld fluidly over acoustic instruments that resonate true string instrument tones. Their music successfully blends old timey, country and bluegrass in a refreshingly authentic way. The “Darlin’s” influences include The Carter Family, Doc Watson, Johnny Cash, Ernest Tubb, Split Lip Rayfield, Dolly Parton and Jimmie Rogers.
Concert tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased in advance at the Glen Arbor Art Association, Lake Street Studios, Cedar City Market, and Oryana Food Coop in Traverse City, or at the door. For more information visit www.manitoumusicfestival.com or call the Glen Arbor Art Association at 334-6112.
Last year the Port Oneida Fair was visited by Civil War re-enactors. The cavalry, the heavy artillery, the infantry and the sharpshooters all marched into Leelanau County, and all but the cavalry will be back this year. Many of the early settlers in Port Oneida and Northwest Lower Michigan were veterans of the Civil War. The war was a major event in their lives and the lives of their families. The Civil War units demonstrate authentic uniforms and equipment and show their camps and drills. The soldiers will also talk about their experiences during the war. The soldiers will be accompanied by military band, Women’s Aid Societies from both the North and South and a peddler who traveled with the army. This is a rare opportunity to experience living history in this part of the state.
In addition to the Civil War re-enactors, over 100 exhibitors will demonstrate early farm skills and crafts from barn building to quilt making. On hand will be spinners, blacksmiths, buggy makers, potters, broom makers, weavers and many more. Each exhibitor is happy to explain their craft while you watch them work. A favorite each year are the big gentle oxen who will be mowing hay, followed by a team of work horses raking and loading the hay on to a wagon. Kids can help unload the wagon and build a haystack. There will be lots of other activities for kids to try such as traditional games and toys. Everyone will also be able to experience some of the daily chores like cutting wood or washing clothes by hand. Traditional community bands, fiddlers and a variety of other musicians will provide music during both days of the fair.
The Port Oneida Rural Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, showcases life at the turn of the century through a community of 18 farmsteads from the late 1800s to mid 1900s. The District is the largest historic agricultural community fully protected by government ownership in the nation. The Port Oneida community has stories to tell about the pioneer and maritime past of Northern Lower Michigan. Over the years, these farms and cultural resources have been loved by many for what they add to the pastoral Leelanau landscape. Now these historic buildings and meadows are interpreting history through such events as the Port Oneida Fair.