The 22nd annual Pioneer Day at the J.

Tuesday, September 12, 2000

The 22nd annual Pioneer Day at the J.C. Hormel Nature Center will see changes.

According to Larry Dolphin, the center’s executive director and naturalist, Sunday’s events will be preceded by day-before activities designed to whet the appetite for more history and heritage the day following.

"We are expanding our schedule to include a historic canoe race Saturday on East Side Lake as well as a program in the Ruby Rupner Auditorium Saturday night," Dolphin said. "We hope they will get people in the mood for having fun at the nature center on Pioneer Day."

Ron Hobart’s alter ego, voyageur "Louis Baron," will bring his 36-foot Montrealer canoe to East Side Lake on Saturday. The canoe will race the SPAMTOWN Belle at 1 p.m. Saturday and give rides from 1:30 to 4 p.m. afterward.

According to Dolphin, the giant canoe hauled voyagers and supplies deep into Canada as well as Lake Superior.

It required eight paddlers when loaded. For Saturday’s race, Dolphin is recruiting a team of 14 paddlers.

"It’s only for fun and bragging rights," he said of the race.

The canoe rides for the public are free thanks to financial support from Austin Elks Lodge No. 414, both the Early Risers and Noon Kiwanis clubs and Friends of the Nature Center.

Louis Baron – or Hobart – will give a program beginning at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the center’s Ruby Rupner Auditorium, telling of his recreation of the LaSalle expedition from Montreal, Quebec, to New Orleans.

Because of space limitations, interested participants in the program are asked to call 437-7519 in advance to make reservations.

Then, the Sunday schedule recreates life on the Minnesota prairie and celebrates the history and heritage of the region in the form of Pioneer Day.

The activities and demonstrations stretch history a bit, according to Dolphin. "We probably traverse the period from the late 1700s to the early 1800s and also, with Ron Hobart’s program, dip into the 1670s, too," he said of the time frame.

Familiar faces, such as Don Burgess and his buckskinners, plus crafts people such as Susan Keenan, a basketweaver, Lynette Bruggeman and the Twilight Treadlers wool spinners, Tim Lukes and David Hartwig, blacksmiths, and Sally Forstner, candle-dipper, will showcase their skills with demonstrations

Don Meier will give horse-drawn wagon rides and John Michael Hughes, bagpiper, and Ross Sutter, Irish and Scottish balladeer, will provide special entertainment.

There also will be food and beverages, including buffalo burgers, porcupine quills and prairie dogs.

All Dolphin and the more than 60 volunteers need is good weather and football fans.

"Through the years, we have noticed our attendance increases, when the Minnesota Vikings are not playing on Pioneer Day," he said.

Dolphin said the Friends of the Nature Center organization donated $1,000 to help underwrite this year’s Pioneer Day.

"This support as well as the other organization’s support allows us to keep the admission down," he said.

"We want people, entire families to come and enjoy Pioneer Day," he said. "It allows them to get in touch with their heritage and things that happened on the prairie long ago in our history."

Activities planned for this year’s nature center event

Each year, a thousand or more people visit the J.C. Hormel Nature Center for one event – Pioneer Day.

Here is the schedule of events:

Saturday

Canoe race on East Side Lake against SPAMTOWN Belle, 1 p.m.

with free canoe rides for the public from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at half-hour

intervals.

Ron Hobart recreates his voyage from Montreal, Quebec, to

New Orleans, La., or the same route as the LaSalle expedition,

7:30 p.m., Ruby Rupner Auditorium, J.C. Hormel Nature Center.

Sunday

Ruby Rupner Auditorium events: Ross Sutter, Irish and Scottish

balladeer and children’s music, 1:30 and 3:45 p.m.

John Michael Hughes, bagpiper, 2:30 p.m.

Gneiss Rock events: Jim Jayes, puppeteer and magician, 1:15

and 2:30 p.m., Jennifer Subra and Petting Zoo, 1 to 5 p.m.

Voyager encampment north of main parking lot events: Bear

wrestling, fire building and dancing with voyager Louis Baron

(also known as Ron Hobart) 1 and 3 p.m.; Stories from the backwaters

of the Mississippi River by Kenny Salwey, avowed "river

rat," 2 and 4 p.m.; muzzle-loading shootist and tomahawk

throwing, 1 and 2:30 p.m.

Demonstrations: Quilting, blacksmiths, woodcarving, harness

making, weavers and spinners, flintknapper, candle dipping and

basket weaving.

Old-fashioned sack races for children and adults, 2:30 p.m.

Sugar shack by the pond events: Circle of Friends storytelling

1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 p.m.

Trailhead sign events: Don Meier, Brownsdale, gives horse-drawn

wagon rides, $1 per person, throughout the afternoon.

The Pioneer Day schedule will be observed, rain or shine, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The main gates open at noon Sunday.

Food and beverages will be served noon to 5 p.m.

All special programs begin at 1 p.m.

A free shuttle bus will take visitors from the East Side Lake Park parking lot to the nature center and return them on regular intervals throughout the day.

There is no shuttle service on 21st Street NE from the Minnesota National Guard Armory this year.

Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children in grades K-12. Preschoolers will be admitted free.

For more information, call the nature center at 437-7519.