The National Park Service at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site will present the annual Summer’s End Promenade on Saturday, September 24, 2016, between 1 pm and 3 pm, as part of the national park’s celebration of National Public Lands Day.
National Park Service Volunteers-in-Parks of all ages will be attired in a range of period clothing illustrating 110 years of history represented at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and the Vancouver National Historic Reserve. They will stroll down Officers’ Row and along the national park’s historic Parade Ground, stopping at the Grant House and its veranda.
In addition to connecting visitors to the site’s history, the costumed volunteers will help celebrate National Public Lands Day, the largest volunteer day for public lands in our country, and one of the National Park Service’s 2016 “fee free” days.
Visitors are invited to stop and have one-on-one conversations with participants about what was taking place onsite and in the Pacific Northwest during the era each costume represents. Volunteers from the park’s Costume and Textile Department will also be on hand to answer questions about clothing construction and style. Photography is welcome.
In case of inclement weather, the Promenade will visit the Grant House and relocate to the Historic Hangar at Pearson Air Museum at 1115 E. Fifth Street.
The public is encouraged to enjoy the grounds of the national park and the Vancouver National Historic Reserve and see the results of the national park’s Costume and Textile Department’s dedicated volunteers, who work behind the scenes to help park programs come alive.
“It is highly rewarding to work with so many exceptionally talented volunteers. And the public really cares about our efforts here at the park. We have received many generous donations – funds, time, talent, and items. It is so heartwarming when someone personally chooses to work with and support us,” said Eileen Trestain, Volunteer/Coordinator of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Costume and Textile Department.
“Tremendous work is put into reproduction costumes at the park, allowing the public to see the level of detail and care our staff and volunteers put into representing the past. This event gives the many volunteers who participate in our living history programs an opportunity to bring over 100 years of history to life,” said Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Superintendent Tracy Fortmann.
National Public Lands Day, which also takes place on September 24, brings together volunteers from coast to coast to improve and restore the lands and facilities that Americans use for recreation, education, exercise, and enjoyment. In honor of this day, all national parks nationwide, including Fort Vancouver NHS, will waive their admission fees.
