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Andrew Voeltz, from a homeschool group, sits in an authentic stagecoach at Big Island Rendezvous Thursday. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

Many vendors, presenters and historic reenactors were at Big Island Rendezvous Thursday to talk to students from area schools. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

Rick Hird teaches a presentation at Big Island Rendezvous on the War of 1812 told from a Canadian or British perspective. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

Students from Pacelli Catholic School listen to a presentation on the Canadian perspective of the War of 1812. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

Students listen to a moving and true tale by storyteller LuAnn Adams, an Albert Lea native who now lives in New York. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

Seventh-graders from Medford Middle School watch two pirates give a swordfight demonstration at Big Island Rendezvous Thursday. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

A woman demonstrates a few of the toys that were once popular during Big Island Rendezvous Education Days. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

Students learn about the Louisiana Purchase during Education Days at Big Island Rendezvous. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

By Ayanna Eckblad

The 38th annual Big Island Rendezvous & Festival began Thursday morning with students from area schools visiting the historical reenactment and spending the day learning about the past. Many different schools were represented at this event. A few of them included Owatonna Middle School, Medford Public School, Pacelli Catholic School in Austin and even local homeschool groups. The students were primarily middle schoolers. However, homeschool groups had children of all ages, including infants.

One presenter at the festival, Donna Thoreson, brings her stagecoach to the event every year. She started in 2012 when the festival introduced the pioneer village.

“Otherwise, we don’t fit into the rendezvous era, because that’s 1700s and this is 1800s, when the stagecoaches were going,” Thoreson said.

The stagecoach was built in 2003 by Thoreson’s brother. She said he was legally blind when he built it. It was built to be as authentic as possible to real stagecoaches at the time when they were used for travel.

“I love working with the kids,” Thoreson said about Education Days. “I just think it’s so important that they learn about the history … of when all this happened.”

Thoreson goes to many different historical events and even takes the stagecoach to weddings. For reenactments, she enjoys dressing in costume and becoming a character to tell the story of the unique mode of transportation.

Following her presentation, students were able to go into the stagecoach to get a feel for what it was like. Many decided they preferred riding in cars when traveling more than a few miles.

Another storyteller, LuAnn Adams, is an Albert Lea native who attends Big Island Rendezvous every year. She currently lives in New York City but goes to events all over the country. While wearing a Civil War soldier’s uniform, she tells the true story of a young African American soldier who saves the life of another soldier, an injured Ohio farm boy that he had never met.

What resonates most with Adams, she said, is the ongoing theme of courage and kindness.

“I come back every year to tell this true story,” she said.

The story can also be found in the book “Pink and Say” by Patricia Polacco. Adams said she met with Polacco and learned she is related to the Ohio farm boy, who survived the ordeal and the war.

After the story is finished, she invites any children or adults who would like to shake her hand and pledge to do something kind for someone they do not know.

“Having the courage to follow our compassion to do something kind,” Adams said. “I think that is a timeless lesson, especially for young people.”

Some of the presenters at the festival bring along items students can interact with and touch. This is the case for Rick Hird. He is from Canada, and brings this heritage to his presentation on the War of 1812. His tent is packed with various weapons, uniforms, flags and other related items.

Hird has been doing historical reenactments for about 30 years. He has presented at Big Island Rendezvous & Festival for about 10 years.

“It’s fun to see the reactions of the kids with putting the uniforms on, and lifting and holding the guns, and the stories of the flags,” he said.

One of the key elements of Hird’s presentation is teaching students about the War of 1812 from a perspective they are probably not used to.

“It’s the British version of the War of 1812,” he said. “Americans get taught the American version of the War of 1812, how they won the war, but when I come down, I teach them the opposite side.”

Other tents that were popular with visiting students included presentations on the history of pirates, cannon demonstrations, lessons on ax throwing and various stalls selling old fashioned candy.

Education Days at Big Island Rendezvous & Festival continued through Friday. It will be open to the public Saturday and Sunday. Visitors are asked to park at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds where shuttles will provide rides to the festival site. For more information, visit http://www.bigislandfestivalandbbq.org/Rendezvous/rendezvous.htm.

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