Laguna Mountain Volunteer Association is holding its 35th Annual Living History over Labor Day weekend from Aug. 31 through Sept. 1. This live reenactment brings back the early history of the Laguna Mountains in the early 1900s, with Native Americans, cowboys, the first Laguna Forest ranger, a 1908 pioneer family from Imperial Valley.
This free event, tours start Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the LMVA Headquarters The Red-Tailed Roost Volunteer Headquarters near Mount Laguna in the Cleveland National Forest at 10385 Sunrise Highway, near the 22.5 mile marker and across from the Old Volunteer Fire Department station.
LMVA President and Living History Chair Sandra Boelter said the LMVA, and this event is produced by volunteers.
“If you come out and take the tour it takes about an hour to 90 minutes, depending on how much time you want to spend,” she said. “It is in the tree area so there is a lot of shade, so it is cooler with the breeze, even when it is hot outside. We have the Kumeyaay culture being displayed and talked about, panning for gold for the kids, talking about the prospectors and miners that were here in the mountains. We have several mountain men talking about what it was like living on the mountain from the 1880s through the 1920s. We have cowboys representing the cattle company that was here during that time.”
Boelter said during that time, there were families traveling from the Imperial Valley during the summer as they sought relief from the scorching summer heat. So, there will be a farm family representing that population of people.
“Last of all for the tour, is a person representing our first forest ranger that was here when the forest service was put in place,” she said. “All of these are volunteers, and they stay in-character during the entire tour. There is no mention of today if people ask questions. We have the fire engine that comes up with Smokey the Bear to walk around to talk with the kids and people.”
Boelter said volunteers can stay the night, with meals provided, and organization events. She said the Laguna Mountain Rendezvous, another nonprofit organization, will be attending as the mountain men and may be providing the event with some live musicians.
“There will be many things going on here,” she said.
