Alafia River Rendezvous
will take you back in time
PHOTO PROVIDED
Buck-skinned and coonskinned-capped presidents of the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce visit Alafia River Rendezvous in January. Left to right are A-C-T Environmental and Infrastructures Rob Kincart, Chamber president 2012; Virginia Condello, Chamber Communications; Bartow Consultings Brian Hinton, Chamber past president; and Madrid Engineerings Larry Madrid, Chamber past president. Guess who is an authentic camper and who isnt. (Hint: The authentic camper doesnt have a Coach purse or wear sunglasses.)
One of the more colorful periods of American frontier history is coming next month as the 42nd Annual Alafia River Rendezvous has planned its visitor days on Jan. 25 and 26.
For those interested to experience what this area was like 160 years ago, visit the encampment in Homeland. The Alafia River Rendezvous, through an encampment of white canvas tents and teepees, people will see groups of rough-looking men dressed in buckskin and furs. Accompanying them are sturdy women sporting bonnets and ankle-length cotton dresses. From the other side of a nearby pine forest, rifle shots that sound like cannon fire reverberate. Making your way through the encampment, you hear the top 40 of 1840 – strains of music from the past coming from various tents.
