Hands on History: A Community of Many Faces

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park will continue to host this interactive and fun event, Hands on History: A Community of Many Faces.

Visitors will be delighted to see the recently completed restoration of the historic walls, gates and blacksmith shop. There will also be a celebration and festivities to honor the diverse cultures represented at the fort, as well as the New Helvetia Diary, a log book documenting the 30 different groups of Native people who provided labor for John Sutter.

On this special Hands on History day, representatives from the Hawaiian Community will be giving presentations about the California’s earliest Hawaiians’ role in the history of the Sacramento Valley and early California. There will also be performances by the Aztlan Ballet de Folklorico dance troupe, Rancho Culture demonstrations, and French and English fur trappers demonstrating how traps work.

There will be craft making for kids and ethnic food samples baked on-site or provided by the Swiss Society. And, of course, demonstrations of black powder weaponry in action will include the firing of Sutter’s cannon!