BARTOW – Come Saturday, more than 1,800 people will descend on a hill south of Homeland to travel back in time nearly two centuries.

They’ll cook venison and hog over open flames, don clothing reminiscent of mountain men and engage in friendly competition using weaponry not seen for decades.

It’s the annual Alafia River Rendezvous, a weeklong encampment that recreates frontier life before 1840.

But for nearby Bartow and Polk County, it’s more than that. The rendezvous represents a unique cultural immersion that can’t be found in a theme park or festival, and it attracts thousands of visitors.

“You aren’t going to go to Disney and see that type of event,” said Mark Jackson , director of Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing, “and it bolsters Polk County as a destination for history tourism. We don’t have any hard numbers on the economic impact, but it’s an event that’s drawing people into the county, and when they’re here, they’re spending money.”

In its 47th year, the rendezvous is expected to attract as many as 8,000 people during the two days it opens its gates to the public, said Don Boger, a former president of the Florida Frontiersmen Inc., which organizes and sponsors the event.

The group will welcome visitors from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 26 and 27 this year, when blacksmiths, broom makers, woodworkers, quilters, potters and others will work their crafts and sell their wares using only materials and tools that existed nearly 200 years ago. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children and seniors.

During the encampment, participants immerse themselves in the culture of the early 1800s. They abide by strict rules in their quest to capture the spirit of a primitive era. Clothing must be made of natural fiber, like cotton or wool, and rubber-souled shoes are forbidden. Portable toilets are placed outside the primitive camping area, as are any vehicles.

Electronics are silenced.

Boger, who began attending the rendezvous nearly 30 years ago, said it’s his opportunity to step away from modern life.

“The rendezvous reconnects me,” he said. “You’re totally unplugged from today, and that's a wonderful thing. You see old friends who enjoy the same things you do, and get your battery recharged for another year.”

He said he’s been asked whether he and his fellow frontiersmen roast hot dogs during the week.

“We eat very well at the rendezvous,” he said, “but I’ve never had a hot dog or a hamburger there. They didn’t have those back before 1840. We cook wild hog or venison, and sometimes turkey, and it’s good.”

Myrtice Young, historic preservation manager of the Polk County History Center, said the rendezvous enhances the county as a history destination, but its impact goes beyond that.

“It bridges the gap between the early development of our country and the early development of Polk County,” she said.

Early settlers began arriving in what would become Polk County in the 1850s, joining Native Americans who already were here.

“It’s a great opportunity to see what life in this country was like before Polk County was founded,” she said.

Last year, an estimated 2,500 schoolchildren attended the rendezvous’ education day, Boger said.

The rendezvous tradition mirrors a practice with roots in the 1820s. At the time, Colorado fur-trading companies decided against bringing trappers in from the mountains with their bounty, choosing instead to meet them at a midpoint to make the exchange of pelts for money, Boger said. Trappers began camping at that rendezvous point, and a tradition was born.

In Florida, the early encampments were held on a privately owned ranch along the banks of the Alafia River in Hillsborough County, he said. When the landowner died about 20 years ago, the Florida Frontiersmen were forced to relocate, which led to the purchase of 324 acres along U.S. 17/98 near Homeland. The first encampment was held there in 2000, Boger said, when about 500 participants turned out.

“Participation had tripled since then,” he said. “We use about 120 acres for the pre-1840 area, so we have plenty of room to continue growing.”

Before, during and after the rendezvous, campers from 47 states shop for food and supplies in Bartow stores and might visit area attractions before heading home, Boger said.

“I would say we would have a pretty significant impact on the economy in Polk County,” he said. “We are getting our supplies in town pretty much on a daily basis, and many spend a night or two in the hotels before heading home.”

Jeff Clark, executive director of the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce, said costumed rendezvous participants are seen throughout Bartow during the encampment.

“I think it’s great for our city to have this event right here,” he said. “It’s one more facet of what we offer to visitors, and it draws people into our community.”

Suzie Schottelkotte can be reached at suzie.schottelkotte@theledger.com or 863-533-9070. Follow her on Twitter @southpolkscene.