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BENTONSPORT HERITAGE DAY RESCHEDULED
TO JULY 17 DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER Welcome back to the 1850s Bentonsport where steamboats landed when the river allowed and the railroad terminated for several years. Whether for themselves or to send settlers on their way west, nearly everything was handmade by skilled craftsmen. Games were simple. Tunes were lively. Food was made with love. Women’s clothing was, well, anything but simple. Take a free covered wagon ride through the village and meet several folks in the midst of their 1850s dilemmas. Our historically dressed artisans will demonstrate weaving, pottery, wood turning and carving, black-smithing, and fabric arts. Fiddler Tom Shadonix will have your toes tapping at the Greef General Store. Barbeque fare is available from Big Guys BBQ food vendor. The Mason House Inn is offering walking tacos to eat in the dining room or you can walk your tacos outdoors to a table. Afterward sink your teeth into a fresh piece of fruit pie with ice cream on top at the BIA funds raiser stand. Try out stilts, play croquet, bacci ball or corn hole, listen to the hammered dulcimer. Get your Boarding Pass punched at the Bentonsport shops and Indian Artifact Museum for a chance to win a basket of merchandise on display at the Two Old Men with Free Advice table. Bring your children, friends and grandchildren to our spacious park and enjoy the day. Admission and activities are free; food is reasonably priced. Public areas are sanitized regularly. Masks in tight quarters--such as in the shops and wagons--are encouraged. June 25-27 Bentonsport Rendezvous reenacts pre-1840s mountain men's lives while camping in Bentonsport riverside park. Enjoy storytelling, games and activities. Demonstrations include tomahawk and knife throwing and shooting a primitive bow. July 17-18 Carving by the River is a gathering of wood carvers along the Des Moines River July 17 and 18 in Bentonsport riverside park. Check-in is at Odd Fellas Woodshop. Sat. hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come for a day of carving or for both days. Wood, tools and some carvings are for sale. Cost to participate is $20 per day, which includes lunch and snacks. Contact Paul Simpson at 319-677-0491 or 641-208-2127 to reserve your place at the event. Sept. 12 Bentonsport Artist of the Year for 2021 is wire and wood artist Doug Adams of Fairfield. His hand twisted tree sculptures are made using aluminum and copper wire and are mounted on slate or wood he harvests himself. Adams has had his own furniture making business and taught fine furniture and woodwork at Maharishi International University. In retirement he continues to pursue creative arts. Reception held in the Bentonsport Stone House meeting place from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Punch, iced tea, and cake served. Visual presentation of Adams harvesting the wood he uses in his sculptures. Oct. 8-10 Bentonsport River Fest 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. is part of the countywide Scenic Drive Festival. Call Cheryl at 319-293-3589 for more information. Oct. 9-10 46th Annual Bentonsport Art Show featuring artists from IA, IL, and MO, demonstrations and sales. Sponsored by the Van Buren County Arts Council. For information call 319-592-3222. October Community Music Program, Historic Bentonsport Presbyterian Church. Date, time, and performances to be announced. Dec. 4 Bentonsport Christmas, enjoy holiday shopping, treats, door prize drawing. Check back occasionally. More events to be announced. |
Heritage Day postponed to
July 17, 2021 Buckskinners will have moved on, but there will be "Carving on the River" to watch just east of Odd Fellas Woodshop in addition to the activities listed below. 
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