Organizers are hoping magic will strike this weekend at the Sixth Annual Point of Departure celebration at the Lewis & Clark State Historic Site in Hartford.
At least they will have a magic re-enactor on hand to try.
On the 204th anniversary of the departure of the Corps of Discovery from the camp for its historic journey, a full weekend of events is planned from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
The replica of Camp River Dubois, behind the interpretative center, will feature demonstrations and re-enactments of camp life for the soldiers, said Michael Bortko, a member of the Lewis & Clark Society, which is helping promote the event.
A couple of things are new this year, he said.
"We're bringing in the Wild Bird Sanctuary, which will be bringing along hawks, owls and other birds that Lewis and Clark might have seen along the river on their journey," Bortko said.
The sanctuary people will have demonstrations and performances at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
The other new event is Steve Corbitt, a St. Louis performer, who will do period magic as a French boatman who has become a frontier magician. His shows are at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and he also will roam the grounds, performing tricks for families and groups, Bortko said.
Local re-enactors will demonstrate what daily camp life was like for the military men, with marching drills, manual labor, cooking and shooting demonstrations.
There will be artisans demonstrating weaving, dying, coopering, woodworking, sewing, gunsmithing, broom making, basket making and log cutting.
The nearby Hartford Confluence Tower will be open for tours on both days. There will be food, ice cream and root beer available for sale.
In addition to the shows and activities on the grounds, at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, a five-kilometer run and two-mile fun walk will start along with a bicycle ride of either 18, 35 and 50 miles long.
The visitor center has recorded 625,000 visitors since its opening in 2002 and has sponsored tours for 75,000 schoolchildren.
Bortko said volunteers and staff tried to add some events to an already busy schedule for the annual event to lure more people to the site and keep them returning.
"It really is a magnificent site," he said.
Wally Spiers' column runs five days a week. Have a column idea? Call Wally at 239-2506 or (800) 642-3878; or e-mail: wspiers@bnd.com
