Dakotafire Get your spark here.
A plaque honoring former Governor William Janklow was unveiled at the Fort Sisseton Historical Festival on Saturday. Taking part in the ceremony from left to right were Fort Sisseton Commission member Paul Symens, Mary Dean Janklow, GFP employees John Pallansch and Ken Stevens, and Janklow’s daughter Pam.
The 36th Annual Fort Sisseton Historical Festival managed to dodge the rain on Saturday, but the wet forecast affected attendance.
“We had a beautiful evening on Friday, and had a nice crowd of people,” Fort Sisseton Manager Katie Ceroll said. “The gates sold about 1000 fewer entrances on Saturday and Sunday due to the rainy weather and we had about one-third fewer campers. Fortunately, we were able to have a full day of events on Saturday before the rain started.”
The festival featured a variety of historic, cultural and military-related events, including musicians, Native American dancers, chuck wagon cooking, a rendezvous camp, military demonstrations and a costume ball complete with a grand march. The festival also allowed an opportunity for visitors to explore the fort’s 14 buildings. Each building is a separate exhibit, providing visitors with a full account of the fort’s use and history.
On Saturday, a plaque was dedicated in honor of Governor Bill Janklow. The plaque highlights the role that Janklow played in the restoration of Fort Sisseton.
The Fort Sisseton Historical Festival is held annually during the first full weekend of June. The festival is just one of many special events held throughout the year. Others include Lantern Tours, Junior Naturalist Programs and the Frontier Christmas in December. The Fort also hosts Northern State University’s summer theater productions on weekends in July.
The park is open year-round and features guided first-person interpretive tours and a number of historical displays. Reservations for campsites and cabins at the park can be made by calling 1-800-710-2267 or by visiting www.campsd.com.
Information on renting the South Barracks or other facilities for groups is available by calling 605-448-5474.
For more information on Fort Sisseton Historic State Park and for a listing of upcoming events, visit www.gfp.sd.gov or call 605-448-5474.
