The 2023 Port Oneida Fair will take place Aug. 11-12. The annual celebration of history will feature demonstrations, food, and family activities at six different sites within the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. The fair promotes the preservation of rural traditional skills, crafts, landscapes, and communities of the Upper Great Lakes Region in the late 1800s to early 1900s through education, artistic expression, and the development of a coalition of community organizations. There is no cost for the Port Oneida Fair; however, patrons must have a park entrance pass or an annual pass displayed in their vehicle. They can be purchased at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire, currently open daily from 9am to 4pm.

Port Oneida Fair organizers are seeking additional volunteers to assist with activities like shelling corn and making rope, parking and greeting visitors, and event setup. They are also seeking craftspeople to demonstrate or offer hands-on activities such as canning, quilting, soapmaking, painting, sculpting or other art, basket weaving, knitting, candle making, etc. Products can be sold at the fair. Additional food vendors are also being sought. Interested volunteers, craftspeople, and artists should contact the National Lakeshore at slbe_programs@nps.gov for more information.