FORT LARNED — The Fort Larned National Historic Site will come to life Labor Day weekend.
Experience the excitement of a working frontier fort as Fort Larned National Historic Site sponsors Labor Day weekend activities Sept. 3 to 5. 
The three-day weekend starting Saturday will feature living history programs and activities that profile a particular aspect of frontier life from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There is no admission for the weekend events.
Fort Larned Superintendent Kevin McMurry said the Fort Larned National Historic Site features something unique for every age group.
“Special events like this allow our visitors to connect with history on a higher level,” said McMurry.  “Seeing the fort come to life can be a memorable experience for the whole family.”
Fort Larned will be abuzz with activity as park staff and volunteers portray the living fort as it was in the 1860s and 1870s. Volunteers generally participate from a four-state area.
Watch soldiers perform rifle and cannon demonstrations, blacksmiths working raw metal into finished products and bakers creating meals for the troops.  Interact with living history interpreters throughout the site including ladies of the post wearing elaborate Victorian dresses and soldiers in historic uniforms.
The 2011 event will also feature two very special demonstrations. 
Fort Larned volunteer Jim Sellers will demonstrate the art of packing horses at 1 p.m. each day. He will attempt to pack as would have been done in the 1860s. 
The next special demonstration will be by Fort Larned volunteer Bill Wolfe at 3 p.m. with a program on horse shoeing. You can watch as Wolfe demonstrates and explains the techniques of shoeing his horse. Special programs presented by park staff and volunteers include:
A local vendor will be on site to provide food and refreshment available for purchase.    
Fort Larned National Historic Site is six miles west of Larned on K-156. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Fort Larned was Kansas’ first U.S. National Park site, established in 1964. Information on visiting Fort Larned is on the internet at www.nps.gov/fols, or by calling (620) 285-6911, or email to fols_superintendent@nps.gov.