Osage River Mountain Man Rendezvous and Muzzleloader Shoot
Both the old timers and the tykes love to come to this event and learn how pioneers, mountain men, and Native Americans lived in this region before there was a dam or a lake. The Osage River was a wild country and required hardy people with a huge variety of outdoor skills. Each year the Osage River Mountain Man Rendezvous and Muzzleloader Shoot brings these times back to life with exhibitions, events, competitions, and fun for the entire family.
If you've never been to an event like this, you will learn just why we celebrate our colonial past and revere those ancestors that managed to live off the land and open the door for the creation of the modern United States of America. Blacksmithing, horse events, shooting, fishing derbies, and hands on exhibits for you to learn the skills it took to survive in the wilderness are just a few things that take place during the event.
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Osage River Mountain Man Rendezvous and Muzzleloader Shoot at the Lake of the Ozarks -- Continue
Modern day mountain men and women will find plenty of camping, fishing, and hunting opportunities at the Lake of the Ozarks and the historic celebration will bring the past to life as you learn about the Native Americans, trappers, traders, and camp followers who came through this country and developed the skills and handicrafts that the region has become known for. Old time shows, music, and cooking fill up the days and nights during this festival and muzzle loading shooters come from all over the country to compete in the very popular Muzzleloader Shoot. Other competitions include wood carving, fire starting, and other frontier skills. Knife throwing, tomahawk throwing, archery, and black powder shoots are all exciting events that are open for you to compete in.
If you'd rather watch than participate, that's no problem either as historic exhibitions take place twice each day during the entire three days of the Osage River Mountain Man Rendezvous. The original Mountain Man Rendezvous' were a chance for trappers and traders to gather in the wilderness to peddle their wares, compete with one another, and find community in the thinly settled Ozark hills. Today you will still find a bustling marketplace of crafts, regional products, and the tools of yesterday. Beadwork, knives, guns, carvings, paintings, and food produced using the old methods are just a few things that visitors love to take home with them.
The Osage River Mountain Man Rendezvous and Muzzleloader Shoot takes place each September from the 18th to the 20th. There is an admission fee of $5 for adults but kids get in free. This is a busy time around the Lake of the Ozarks so it is recommended that you reserve accommodation and activities early so that you won't miss out on any of the fun.