The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA - The 17th annual two-day Fort Walla Walla Days event will take place June 11 and 12. The family festival celebrates Walla Walla Valley regional heritage with historic reenactors, live demonstrations, music, dancing, children’s pioneer games, and more.

Historic reenactors, encluding fur traders, Civil War soldiers, Old West cowboys, Lewis and Clark era explorers, Texas Rangers and WWI soldiers will occupy encampments on the museum’s 17-acre campus. A 19th century chuckwagon will be on display and Buffalo Soldier reenactors will be on hand celebrating the sesquicentennial of the start of the Buffalo Soldier’s unit in 1866.

Other activities will include harness making and blacksmith demonstrations, old-time music and dancing, food trucks, traditional craft demonstrations, book signings with local authors, and pioneer kid’s games.

Saturday will feature a living history performance from Richard Monacelli as William McBean, an 1840’s fur trader ad manager of the Hudson’s Bay Company Fort. On Sunday, Dan and Barbara Clark will perform as E.B. and Maria Whitman for some old-time dancing.

Fort Walla Walla Days is included with the price of Museum admission, and visitors will have access to the Museum’s regular exhibits in addition to the event. The current special exhibit, “Walla Walla and the World Wars,” showcases over 400 artifacts, including uniforms, weapons, and stories from local men and women who served during World Wars I and II. Also on display are over 200 images, many taken by Tech. Sgt. William “Bill” Mach, an army photographer stationed at the Walla Walla Army Air Base during the 1940s.

Fort Walla Walla Museum is located on Myra Road in Fort Walla Walla Park. The Museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm March through October and 10 am to 4 pm November through February. Admission is free to museum members and children under 6, Tamástslikt Culture Institute Inwai Circle members, and CTUIR members with ID card; $3 for children ages 6-12; $7 for seniors (62 and older) and students; and $8 general admission. Membership includes free admission to more than 40 Living History performances and other benefits; prices begin at $28. For more information, contact Fort Walla Walla Museum at (509) 525-7703 or e-mail info@fwwm.org. Visit online at fwwm.org.