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Bent's Fort :: Old Time Fourth of July Celebration
Bent's Old Fort
Bent's Old Fort
2012/07/04 12:00:00 GMT-5
2012/07/04
Celebrate the 4th with a Bang at Bent’s Old Fort
Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site will commemorate our country’s birth with a bang during an afternoon celebration on July 4. A cannon firing at 12 noon will kick off the festivities.
“Bent’s Fort was known as a ‘cultural crossroads’ where U.S. citizens, Native Americans and Hispanic peoples came together in business,” said Chief of Interpretation Rick Wallner. “One visitor in the 1840s wrote of hearing seven languages spoken within the fort walls.” To honor that multicultural aspect, the fort’s 4th of July celebration will include American, Native American and Hispanic traditions.
All during the afternoon demonstrations will be ongoing throughout the fort including cooking in the kitchen, games in the billiards room, and traders in the trade room.
Regular fees of $3 for adults (13 and over), $2 for children (ages 6-12), free for children 5 and under and all National Park pass holders will apply
during this event. Visitors are advised to be mindful of the heat this time of year and bring sun protection and water.
Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site is located 8 miles east of La Junta or 13 miles west of Las Animas on Colorado Highway 194. The site is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily through the summer. For more information, go to the park website at www.nps.gov/beol
