Pioneer Fun at the Village

Posted on May 19, 2017

Beginning tomorrow, the Heritage Days Rendezvous will take over for a weekend of pioneer fun at the Lincoln Pioneer Village & Museum. To get the inside scoop, we caught up with one of the volunteers who serves as a reenactor at the event. Janet had assisted with tearing down and rebuilding several log cabins over the years. So last year she decided to help erect a log cabin at the Lincoln Pioneer Village & Museum. As someone who enjoys doing things the old-fashioned way and learning from others, Janet fits right in as a volunteer. We asked Janet to share favorite part of volunteering at the Heritage Days Rendezvous. “I enjoy watching the children learn and participate in the activities offered,” she says. “I really like to see the children’s faces when they can actually do the chores or tasks as the pioneers did in the past. It is a learning experience for all of us.” Janet goes on to talk about how learning from the other volunteers is really rewarding. She says it’s fascinating to see all of the volunteers in old-fashioned clothing, using authentic tools and items that would have been used during the pioneer era. When asked about a funny story from volunteering experience, Janet told us about a time she and her sister were practicing their rope making skills. They didn’t have the weights quite right and were trying to think of alternative ways to make the rope machine work. As her sister was studying the situation, she turned the handle, allowing the small hooks on the wheel to turn. One of the small hooks caught her apron string, and the string wrapped around the machine’s wheel. “We laughed so hard and then looked up and stared at each other to see if anyone was watching,” Janet remarks. “If we were real pioneer women, we both would have been fired from rope making!”

Janet was kind enough to give us a glance into what we can expect at this year’s event.

There will be firearms demonstrations as well as sheep shearing, rope making, and candle making. Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial’s Mobile Play Area will be at the event, too. This is a large, refurbished trailer that serves as a playground on wheels for children under the age of six. It encourages kids to learn about Abraham Lincoln and pioneer living in a fun way. Another major change is the “face lift” of the museum. “There are several new items and upgrades that have taken place this year and will definitely impress the public,” says Janet. “A lot of hard work and time has been dedicated to enhance the exhibits and present them in impressive showcases. There’s something for everyone in the museum.” Heritage Days Rendezvous is this weekend. Get all of the event details here.