By LaRayne Topp
A tight crowd of 21st Century onlookers gather around the blacksmith, his brown, leather apron absorbing the heat radiating from the orange flames of fire before him and the metal stake resting in it. The stake grows progressively hotter until he transfers it onto a nearby anvil to hammer it into the desired shape: a stake to hold the edges of a canvas tent shading a neighboring tinsmith. Beyond him is a frontier trapper, all reminiscent of early-day settlement along the Missouri River. And all celebrated at the Heritage Encampment, nestled into the overhanging trees of the Missouri River Outdoor Expo, held annually at Ponca State Park.
Kody Keefer of Madison, South Dakota, has been forging through the Expos since he was a young boy of 11. At that time, he worked alongside his father and uncle, demonstrating how to pour loose gunpower from a powder horn down the muzzle of an early-day firearm, as a member of the Hawkeye Pistol and Rifle Club. In those days, and in the 20 years since, re-enactors have been reliving the time when the United States was only a glint in the eye of frontiersmen and women alike.
Keefer grows nostalgic when speaking at the two-day Expo, held this year on September 20 and 21. He is reminded of happy days spent at Ponca State Park, the Expo in particular, enjoying time with his father and uncle. He appreciates the interaction between volunteers and visitors exchanged during living history demonstrations as the annals of the past come alive for those intent on watching.
“Book learning just doesn’t do it,” Keefer said. After all, he explained, many of the skills portrayed in the Heritage Encampment won’t be around forever.
But history reenactments aren’t the only experiences offered at the Missouri River Outdoor Expo. Far from it. A multitude of vendors, activities and demonstrations all have their input, from bird banding, butterfly tagging, raptor watching and duck dog cheering, to rock climbing, canoeing and fishing, all found on the top levels of the park. Down by the River’s edge, at the lower level of the Park, are a plethora of additional activities: Hot Tin Cold Feet Adventure Meals and cannon firing, for example, plus such demonstrations as log rolling, wood cutting and axe throwing, offered by the “Farmers of the Woods,” the Axe Women Loggers of Maine.
In-between the sky-view and ground-level landscapes of the park expedition, transported by trolley up and down the park’s 37 acres of hilly terrain, visitors of all ages get to choose between a myriad of activities exemplifying the Ponca State Park signature slogan: “Where people and nature meet.” In fact, visitors didn’t have two seconds to rub together when there wasn’t something going on to bring people and nature together. In short, each year the Expo offers exciting things to see, taste, feel, smell and experience.
At the mid-level shooting complex, folks had an opportunity to pick up a bow and arrow, learn about deer tree stand safety, call a duck, ride a pony or a mountain bike, or meet President Teddy Roosevelt himself, known in his other life as Adam Lindquist of Northfield, Minnesota.
Wandering through the demonstrations, visitors had a chance to taste samples of freshly-caught haddock as well as the more exotic elk or wild boar sausage, or even take part in a burger eating contest.
For the youngsters who had absorbed all they could, there remained the Kids Outdoor Discovery Zone, a place they typically wouldn’t find in their own backyard: piles of sand to sift through or towering stacks of hay bales to climb up on, and slide down.
Some events seem to be a simple fit; while others seem more, well, adventuresome. Take volunteer Myra Kingsbury’s job. When close to 35 schools brought around 700 children on the Friday preceding the Expo, it was her task to oversee the Critter Corner, and a type of animal Crime Scene Investigation.
Students met with a park naturalist to see furs, skulls and artifacts, firsthand. They heard how animals adapt to their various environments, plus had an opportunity to meet some resident critters. Students in Kingsbury’s group found out about an owl’s vision, hearing and habitat. They also had a chance to dissect owl pellets.
Owls, it seems, eat their food whole; from there it makes its way into one of two stomachs. Because the food is eaten whole, and the owls lack teeth or a crop to break down their food, bones, fur and feathers are compacted into a pellet which the owls later regurgitate. Students were able to dissect these pellets to determine what each owl had eaten, often discovering a skull, leg bone or rib.
“The students had tons of classes to take,” Kingsbury explained. “It was a cool thing, and very organized.”
It’s great to see families come out to the Expo, Kingbury said, and enjoy what she refers to as a low-cost event.
Although the event may be low-cost for families, the amount of time and effort it takes to put on something as vast as the Missouri River Outdoor Expo can’t be measured. The Expo isn’t realized through happenstance, but the untold hours and extensive efforts of the Nebraska Parks Division, plus local citizens from Ponca and surrounding communities numbering in the 100s, some of whom have volunteered the entire 20 years of the Expo’s existence.
Throughout the year, staff ponder the best ways to stage the event, held annually the third weekend in September. They also think about which activities have stood the 20-year-test of time and new ones to add, such as boat tours which were brought back in 2025 by popular demand.
Also involved are groups such as local chapters of Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, and the National Rifle Association. And let’s not forget the support of generous sponsors.
As for the Expo visitors, however, a trip to the Missouri River Outdoor Expo—surprisingly—can be experienced, all for the price of a park permit.