The second annual Chuck Wagon Cook-Off was held June 24-25 at Fort Pipestone. This year we had four wagons cooking, one more than last year. The Pipestone Four Winds Association, organizers of the event, supplied all participants with the necessary ingredients.
Each wagon cooked food from five categories: meat, beans, bread, potatoes, and dessert. All entries had to be different from one another. Judges evaluated each chuck wagon’s appearance, authenticity, layout, and the manner in which the meals were cooked. They also taste-tested each entry.
The judges then selected a first- and second-place winner in each category. After the judging took place, the public could then partake of the meals. We fed about 150 people before running out of food. Patrons could try any or all of the dishes and were asked to donate $10.00 per plate.
We had a tremendously successful event, and all in attendance were not only very pleased with the food but also interested in watching as the food was prepared. All participants were dressed in period attire, which added to the ambiance of the day. People were able to talk to the cooks and ask questions about how they managed to prepare the food under primitive conditions.
The second event we sponsored this summer was the third annual “Love of the Land Rendezvous.” This was held just east of Fort Pipestone and was very successful. We had twice the number of camps, some demonstrations, a food stand, and more traders than in past years. Events included a hawk and knife throw with prizes for the first-place winners, a skillet toss, an Atl Atl demonstration (an Atl Atl is a primitive Native American javelin thrown in much the same manner as today’s javelins), a Dutch oven cook-off, and some other fun camp games. The first-place winner in the Dutch oven cook-off was a wonderful rabbit dish cooked all day in a wine sauce.
We had more walk-through traffic this year than ever before, and many of the visitors were treated to a sample pot of venison stew. Everyone camping had to be dressed in pre-1840s clothing and have their camps outfitted from that time period without showing anything from a later time period. All who walked through the camps were very surprised at how these people lived and survived.
Mr. Dave Rambow was also in attendance to take pictures using his antique camera. Another group in attendance comprised members from the Minnesota Territorial Pioneers in St. Paul. They talked to people about early pioneer traffic through this area and the value of recognizing the area’s historical assets.
The Pipestone Four Winds Association is passionate about bringing people to this area because of its historical background and beautiful prairie. We continue to try to increase participation in these events and bring visitors here to share in that feeling. We can’t thank the Pipestone Foundation enough for allowing us to continue bringing these historical events to our city. Without the Foundation, none of this would have been possible. Thank you to each and every one of you for your support.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Portz, Co-founder
Pipestone Four Winds Association
