Historical encampments will be part of the city's annual living-history festival at Old Poway Park this weekend, which brings visitors a slice of the 1820s through the 1890s. Rendezvous in Poway runs Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with free admission for a festival built around historical encampments, gold panning, train rides, and an artisan market.
The free event, held at Old Poway Park at 14134 Midland Road, features historical encampments and a Victorian-era fashion show among its draws this year, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
A Victorian-era fashion show is also part of the festival.
School Groups Get an Early Look
Before the weekend crowds arrive, Rendezvous in Poway hosts school tours from 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, and Friday, Oct. 2.
Gold Panning, Steam Trains and Museum Tours
Children attending the festival can pan for gold near Rattlesnake Creek, tour the historic Nelson House, and ride the park's train, according to the Union-Tribune. Those same activities have anchored the event for years: a festival listing describes visitors panning for gold along Rattlesnake Creek, riding the park's vintage steam train and trolley, and browsing the Artisan Market, according to festivalsinamerica.com. The train rides run on the park's 1907 Baldwin steam locomotive and historic trolley cars, the same source notes, while the Nelson House and Heritage Museum remain open to tour throughout the weekend.
Admission to Rendezvous in Poway is free, though train rides and some other activities may carry a small fee, per festivalsinamerica.com's listing. The recurring format lines up with how the city has described the event in past years — the City of Poway has invited visitors to walk back in time to the 1820s through the 1890s, while a more recent city calendar entry for the festival encourages guests to interact with period-correct historical encampments and meet mountaineers, cowboys, and pioneers.
A Tradition With Deep Roots
The festival features gold panning, train rides, an artisan market, and visits to Nelson House and the Heritage Museum. School visits during the week are also a long-running tradition — coverage from 2019 noted that local school students came by during the week to learn about life in the Old West during the 1800s, per coolsandiegosights.com.
Organizers can be reached by phone at 858-668-4576 for more information on this weekend's schedule, according to the Union-Tribune's reporting.
