WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN SEPTEMBER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALEA BONJOUR
September
11
GO: The Festival of the Trails is September 11 all over Raytown. Start at the Rice-Tremonti Farm Home (8801 E. 66th St., Raytown) or the Raytown Historical Society & Museum (9705 E. 63rd St., Raytown).
IT’S AN ACT
The first rule of interacting For example, they didn’t have zippers during with those people you’ll this time period. A costume might have see dressed in period garb at Raytown’s Festival of the hidden zippers, but period attire doesn’t. Trails? Don’t call them “reenactors.” “I paid $500 for my shoes,” Monaco says. “They hate being called reenactors—they are living “They are perfectly handmade leather shoes.” historians,” says Ralph Monaco, a lifelong Raytonian Monaco can afford it—he’s a trial lawyer. and heavyweight in the hobby who is wrangling the Which brings us to the third rule of living historians for the festival. interacting with living historians: Don’t try The Festival of the Trails is “the Super Bowl to to get them to say offensive things, which Raytown,” in Monaco’s words, and this year’s installment chuckleheads have been known to try every also marks Missouri’s bicentennial and the bicentennial now and again. of the Santa Fe Trail. Expect the largest assemblage “There are certain words and phrases that of living historians in these parts this year, along with are not appropriate to use as a living historian,” storytelling, games, food trucks and live music. Monaco says. “It’s a balance between Also: living historians don’t like the word “costumes.” educating and the perspective of the person “It’s period attire,” Monaco says. “We spend an awful you’re portraying and still being sensitive to lot of money on our clothing to make sure it’s authentic. things that are offensive to us today.”
KANSASCITYMAG.COM SEPTEMBER 2021
29
