(Mendota, MN) — July 7th, 2022 — The Dakota County Historical Society will host Fur Trade Weekend at the Sibley Historic Site in Mendota on Saturday, July 23 and Sunday, July 24 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. both days. The event will be held on the grounds of the Sibley Historic Site.
Admission to the event is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and college students, $8 for ages 5–17, and free for 4 and under. Members of the Dakota County Historical Society, Minnesota Historical Society and Friends of the Sibley Historic Site receive a 20 percent discount on admission. Admission is good for one day.
The Sibley Historic Site is located at 1357 Sibley Memorial Highway in Mendota. Contact the site at 651-452-1596 or visit the Dakota County Historical Society website for more information.
A special wine tasting event will be held on Sunday, July 24 by Alexis Bailly Vineyard. Alexis Bailly ran the Mendota Fur Post for the American Fur Company prior to the arrival of Henry Sibley. Attendees can purchase this add-on for $8 during the online registration process or on-site at the event.
Visitors to Fur Trade Weekend will experience the Sibley Historic Site set in the 1830s when Mendota was the center of the fur trade. Visitors can walk the grounds and interact with fur trade reenactors, explore the houses of Henry Sibley and Jean-Baptiste Faribault, and enjoy live music and presentations on various topics related to life in the 1830s and the fur trade each day.
