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Mountain Man Rendezvous showcases life in the mid-1800s

Wooden shoes block out the cold surprisingly well, Cheyenne Cohee says. And she would know. She wears Dutch-style clogs each time she attends a mountain man rendezvous, which means she's worn them in all kinds of conditions, including the cold and snow.

Those shoes, some period-precise wool socks and a few layers of colonial dresses keep her warm enough. Staying near a fire doesn't hurt, either.

FAQ

Mulberry River Rendezvous and Festival

WHEN — 9 a.m. to dark today through Sunday

WHERE — Byrd’s Adventure Center, located on Arkansas 215 north of Ozark

ADMISSION — Free for the public; vendor or camping fees range from $10-$25

INFO — 667-4066 for modern campers or vendors; 870-405-6279 for historic campers and traders

That combination of clothes worked for women before the Civil War, and they work for Cohee now. That's the idea behind her family-run organization called the Mountain Man Mafia. Cohee, her brother and her parents travel from their home in Melbourne to rendezvous throughout the region. That's what will bring the Mafia to Byrd's Adventure Center in rural Franklin County for the second annual Mulberry River Rendezvous and Festival.

Akin to Civil War re-enactments but focusing on eras that precede them, rendezvous events feature displays of primitive living and trades. Events taking place during the three-day weekend include blacksmith demonstrations, primitive archery, rope making and fire starting, to name a few. It's also certain to be a good time when the official event flyer tells participants "cannons welcome."

Everything the public sees is authentic, Cohee says. They wear period clothes, use enamel cups like those used during the mid-1800s, and all of the re-enactors sleep in white canvas tents. The items used are all authentic to the time frame, but generally new because pieces that actually date back before the war are both hard to come by and expensive.

The public can get in for free to watch the events, but the participants pay for the experience.

"They just love to come out, dress up and sleep on the ground," Cohee says.

Like her family, many of those who participate go from rendezvous to rendezvous. The Mountain Man Mafia, in fact, will reassemble next weekend for a similar event at Petit Jean Mountain State Park.

Most of the public visitors at last year's inaugural event at Byrd's came from Missouri and Arkansas. But participants came from Arkansas, California, Oklahoma and Utah. Cohee says this year's attendance will be hard to gauge because of the swift descent into cold weather. But she's received many phone calls in advance of the event. She expects five to 10 unique participant camps but notes those big white tents might sleep as many as 10 each.

Byrd's Adventure Center will also encourage camping for nonparticipants, and that comes at $10 per night and can -- unlike that for the participants -- come with electricity.

NAN What's Up on 11/21/2014

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