Big Bone Lick State Park – Salt Festival
Where: Big Bone Lick State Park 3380 Beaver Road Union, KY 41091-9627(859-384-3522)Date: Friday, October 17th, 2008
Time: 10:30 – 3:00 (you do not have to stay till 3pm but you are welcome to)
Cost: $1.00 per person
Who: Homeschoolers/Unschoolers of all ages
RSVP: No later than Friday, September 26.

Here is a information they send as well as a copy of the schedule:

Welcome to Big Bone Lick State Park, the home of American vertebrate paleontology, for our 2008 Salt Festival.

Big Bone Lick was famous for its salt springs, which drew many large Pleistocene mammals to the park. Some of these large mammals were tapped here at the park, becoming mired in the soft bog like area around the springs. Additionally, the are was well known to Native Americans going back to the Paleo-Indians, who hunted the giant Pleistocene mammals here. In more modern times native Americans and European pioneers gathered water from the springs to obtain salt.

This weekend will be highlighted by many activities, programs and special events going on through the park. After checking out the festival, don't forget to stop by our visitor's center, gift shop and live bison herd.

The Old Caintuckee Primitives and Clands of Desdin Glen are proud to be hosting our primitive camp this year. Both groups would like to extend a warm invitation for you to come and join them to learn some of the shills and lifestyles of our early settlers. Demonstrations include beadwork, leatherwork, wood splitting, fire starting, weaving, old time coffee making, soap making, story telling, pioneer children's games, and more. Special demonstrations are denoted by a blue flag being raised by each camp. If you see the blue flag raised, please stop in for a special demonstration.

Schedule:
9 AM to 2 PM: Pioneer encampment open. Step back in time to the 1840s and participate in demonstrations, storytelling, talks, and hands on learning about many facets of pioneer life. (Pioneer Encampment Field)

9 AM to 3 PM: Salt making demonstrations all day. See how pioneers got salt for the springs here at Big Bone. (Salt furnace behind the big shelter)

9 AM to 3 PM: Learn how Native Americans made spear points, arrowheads, and much more during our flint knapping demonstrations. (Primitive Shelter Area)

9 AM to 3 PM: Make your own pottery masterpieces with Albert Bauman (Shelter Field)

9 AM to 3 PM: Reptiles of Kentucky. Join Scott Braunstein as he shoes you the many species of reptiles that can be found in KY while learning why these natives species need to be protected (Shelter Field)

9 AM to 3 PM: Visit Pat and Mat Maley as they demonstrate the many uses of plant fibers and hair for spinning, weaving, cordage and much more. You don't want to miss these demonstrations (Pioneer Encampment)

10:30 AM Tomahawk Demonstrations: Any age welcome to come watch, but you must be 12 or older to throw! (Primitive Shelter Area)

11 AM Listen and be mesmerized by the beautiful melodies from Soaring Raven as he plays the Native American flute (Crafters venue)

12 PM: Atlatl demonstrations. Join us at the altatl filed to learn about a most ingenious hunting device used by people all over the world. (Primitive Shelter Area)

12:30 PM: Mammals of Kentucky presented by the KY Environmental Education Company (Main Tent)

1:30 PM: Prehistoric fire starting demonstration. Learn 2 different ways that Native Americans used to start fire without matches or lighters (Primitive Shelter Area)

2:15 PM: Tomahawk Demonstrations: Any age welcome to come watch, but you must be 12 or older to throw! (Primitive Shelter Area)

What great fun! The park is located about an hour and 10 minutes from here, but the drive was easy and the traffic light. When we got there the place was PACKED, but after lunch the school buses really cleared out. It was hard to push Grant around in the wheelchair, but we made the best of it. One of the funnier things, we stumbled onto a reenacting family with a teenage daughter. She was making corn husk dolls and giving them out to the kids. She ran out of husks and said she was going to get more, the 3 older boys (Gaige, Chris and Jacob....poor Grant got left out since it was in the wheelchair) go traipsing off after her....it was HILARIOUS..figures they would find the one teenage girl in the entire event!

After the event, we went up to the visitors center to see the bison. Grant decided to walk, and the 400 yards we had to walk to find the bison really wore him out. The bison were cool to see, yet they were surprising aggressive, butting the fence at our presence!

Collage of pictures from event, click to enlarge.