The Feast of the Hunters' Moon

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Fifers at the 2006 Feast
Fifers at the 2006 Feast

The Feast of the Hunters’ Moon is an annual celebration re-creating the fall festival started by French settlers and Native Americans. It takes place at the present-day site of Fort Ouiatenon, a replica 18th century French military and trading post located three miles southwest of Lafayette, Indiana-West Lafayette, Indiana.

The Feast of the Hunters’ Moon is a re-creation of the annual fall gathering of the French and Native Americans which took place at Fort Ouiatenon, a fur-trading outpost in the mid-1700s. Each fall at the time of the Hunter's Moon French fur traders would return to Fort Ouiatenon to exchange trade goods for pelts to sell in Quebec in the summer. The fur traders were a major source of news and information about the outside world for the inhabitants of this remote outpost.

Each autumn in early October or late September the Feast of the Hunters’ Moon draws roughly 8,000 participants and 60,000 spectators from around the country. Participants dress in the authentic garb of the 18th century French soldiers, settlers, and Native Americans who lived in this region. They populate the park grounds with period tents and other shelters surrounding the Blockhouse, which represents the original fort. The celebration also includes games, crafts, food, music and demonstrations of authentic 18th century life. 2007 was the 40th anniversary of the Feast of the Hunters' Moon.

As part of the celebration participants re-enact the significant battles from Fort Ouiatenon’s history, including those from 1761 (part of the French and Indian War) and 1763 (part of Pontiac’s Rebellion).

The Feast of the Hunter's Moon is a weekend long event.

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