Grand Portage National Monument Announces 2026 Annual Rendezvous Days: “Games & Entertainment of the Fur Trade Era”

News Release Date: July 27, 2026

GRAND PORTAGE, Minn. — Grand Portage National Monument invites visitors to experience the sights, sounds, and 
stories of the 18th-century fur trade during the annual Rendezvous Days, taking place Aug. 7-9, 2026. This year’s theme, 
“Games & Entertainment of the Fur Trade Era,” highlights the lively contests, traditional pastimes, and cultural 
exchanges that once filled the summer gathering at Grand Portage. 

Held the second weekend of August each year, Rendezvous Days remains the Monument’s largest celebration of the 

year, featuring historical reenactments, hands-on workshops, music, dancing, and craft demonstrations. Admission is 
free, and visitors are welcome to come as they are—no period clothing required. 

Event Highlights
• Daily programs from 9 am to 5 pm throughout the Historic Depot, stockade, Ojibwe Village, and encampment 
areas
• Demonstrations of historic games, including Anishinaabe traditional games, English vs. French checkers, billiards, 
Jeu du Trac, and more
• Interactive workshops, children’s scavenger hunts, historic garden tours, dye-pot demonstrations, and live music 
into Saturday evening
• Access to the reconstructed Great Hall, Kitchen, Canoe Warehouse, and heritage exhibits

Shuttle service is available courtesy of the National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation. Parking and shuttle pickup are
available at the Grand Portage Lodge. 

Grand Portage National Monument is a fee-free site co-managed with the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior 
Chippewa and was established to preserve a vital center of fur trade activity and Anishinaabeg Ojibwe heritage. 

About the National Park Service.  Established in 1916, the National Park Service preserves America’s most treasured natural 
and cultural places for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of current and future generations. Learn more at  nps.gov