Feast of the Hunters Moon - Ouiatenon

30 Apr 2020

Feast of the Hunters Moon, Fort Ouiatenon Indiana

The "Feast of the Hunters Moon" is an annual even held at the Fort (near West Lafayette, Indiana) every year. It's intended to recreate a fur trapper's rendezvous of the type that were common on the frontier during the colonial period. It features a huge number of merchants selling everything from food (most of which is at least relatively authentic - no Chinese food here!) to period goods like clothing, weapons, etc.

It's also a great source of pictures of 18th century "stuff" - uniforms, guns, etc.

I've been going to Ouiatenon semi-annually since I was very, very young. As a kid we dressed in period clothes, and it's just as well that I have no pictures from that period!

The Feast features a large number of reenactors from the French and Indian War (Seven Year's War for you Europeans) and the American Revolution era. I thought some pictures from my trip to this year's even would be of interest to historical gamers, if only to see the colors, etc in the uniforms.

Note - I've combined my all my pictures from past years into this article - so they'd be in one spot of ease of reference. Enjoy!

Encampment Enparadement Enfrenchment
Part of the encampment. The parade getting ready. The French...
rifle blunderbuss cannon
A very nice rifle, set against an ornately painted chest I've always like blunderbusses with brass barrels Some of the cannon.
Indiana
In case you've never been to Indiana, it pretty much looks like this - flat with lots of corn!
blockhouse
The blockhouse at Fort Ouiatenon. Although technically, the fort was about a half mile west of this site, and apparently didn't include a blockhouse, at least according to the excavation map they showed me.
Wabash River
The Wabash river, one of the important water routes in the area.
Flags
Flags flying over part of the encampment, I believe where one of the unit of highlander reenactors was camping.
Camp Pic #1
Part of the encampment. Note all the woodsmoke. To this day, the smell of woodsmoke reminds me of Ouiatenon.
Camp Pic #2
More of the encampment. Note the more modern camping equipment in the background!
Camp Pic #3
More encampment.
Camp Pic #4
More of the encampment.
Camp Pic #5
More of the encampment.
Clothes Rack
A shot of some of the period clothing at one of the merchant tents. Colors/patterns might be useful.
Trapper
One of the colorful trapper/mountain man types.
americans1
I'm guessing these guys are reenacting American militia.
americans2
American musicians
americans3
American cavalrymen?
americans4
More militia.
americans5
americans6
americans7
americans8
british1
British Reenactors.
british2
british3
french1
French reenactors. The one guy has really got the expression down!!
french2
More french.
highlanders1
Look out the Highlanders are here! I believe they're meant to be the Black Watch.
highlanders2
highlanders3
highlanders4
indians
Indians, arriving in non-traditional transportation (what did you think they'd be on horses or something?)
indians2
Indians in the parade.