By Sault Tourism
Fall Rendezvous Festival, at the Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site, is a 4-day event, hosted each September by the Friends of Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site. The festival, this year occurring September 20th – 23rd, is a chance to immerse yourself in the history of the war of 1812 and the daily life of the early 1800’s, through a number of live reenactments including; canon and musket fire, Indigenous storytellers, workshops and more!
Keep reading to learn more about the Fall Rendezvous Festival.
Four Days of Festival
The Fall Rendezvous Festival starts on Wednesday, September 20th and will run for four days until Saturday, September 23th, 2023. The event is open to the public, as well as for groups including School Groups, from 10am to 4pm for each day.
Admission is by donation (pay what you can) and includes entrance to the Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site heritage buildings and grounds, as well as interaction and knowledge sharing with 36 heritage performers including Francophone and Indigenous storytellers. See the Red Coats and the flash in the pan, smell the gunpowder as the muskets and cannons ignite, hear the drumming and our storytellers, taste Algoma Country’s culinary samplings. Immerse yourself!
Canon and Musket Firing
A fun part of the Fall Rendezvous Festival is the historical reenactments from the period surrounding the war of 1812. Restored canons and muskets from the era are fired at regular intervals throughout the festival, with groups of onlookers and spectators kept at a safe range. 🙂
Expect the canon to fire every hour or more frequently when groups are on tours!
Heritage Performers & Activities
There are 36 heritage performers and exhibits present at the Festival. These include Coureur du Bois, Voyageurs, Métis, quill work, canoe building, drumming & Indigenous song, sacred plants and teachings – all in live performance!
Saturday will also see the addition of the Algoma Maker’s Market, tasty local samplings from Hogan’s Homestead, Thinking Rock Community Arts, Beaver Tails food trailer and culinary arts by members of Buy Algoma, Buy Local.
The site is accessible with parking, boardwalks, washrooms and audio tours.
Festival Schedule
Check out the festival schedule below!
Wednesday to Friday
9am-4pm
- Cannon firing every 15 minutes: 9am – 2pm, then again at 3pm and 4pm (talk and demonstrations)
- Mini Militia – learn the drill of an 1812 soldier
- Canoe building – the art of birch bark canoe
- Meet the Voyageurs and the Coureur du Bois
- Learn about the important linkage with Fort St. Joe
- Indigenous Allies – drumming and sacred plants
- Women of the Era – the clothing and their roles
Saturday
10am-4pm
- Cannon firing on the hour from 10am – 4pm
- Same great stations as Wednesday to Friday
- Beaver Tails food trailer 11am – 3pm
- Algoma Makers Market 10am – 4pm
- Thinking Rock Community Arts 1pm – 4pm
- Hogan’s Homestead maple tasting 1pm – 3pm
- The Soup Witch
- Centre Francophone
THE ERMATINGER CLERGUE
NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
Fall Rendezvous Festival takes place on the grounds of the Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site; where two of the oldest stone buildings in Ontario are Sault Ste. Marie’s only remains of the fur trade era, and home to the earliest European settlers.
Learn about the war of 1812 through interactive displays, enjoy an audio tour to help guide you through the site. There is also a gift shop filled with local artisan products and memorabilia from Sault Ste. Marie. Read more about visiting Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site here.
Thanks to our Partners!
The Fall Rendezvous Festival is hosted by the Friends of Ermatinger National Historic Site and funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and the City of Sault Ste. Marie.
