Feast Of The Hunters Moon

Angie A. did an awesomely thorough review worth reading. I will fill in some details:
My boyfriend brought me here. He comes every year for the queen anne’s lace and Bud’s root beer. I am always up for an adventure, and this one was no exception.
If you like stepping back in time, then you need to come check out the Feast of the Hunters Moon, a reenactment of a mid-​1700s trading post. With a reenactment comes reenactors. There are hundreds of them, dressed in traditional garb, armed with artillery, hanging out in their traditional tents, huddled around the fire. It’s quite the sight to see. These reenactors lead a variety of events, from traditional dances to church ceremonies for a few denominations. Vendors also set up shop, selling everything from furry frontier hats to fine china to swords to mini telescopes.
Best of all, there’s BUD’S ROOT BEER (the best of the best) and FOOD: apple dumplings, fried dough, pork chops, stews/​soups, sausages, breads. Most of it is pretty tasty, so bring cash and your appetite for sure!
This event is definitely family-​friendly and a nod to our Indiana history. Mark your calendars to experience this for sure!

It’s alright. Coming from central Ohio where there are TONS of re-​enactments, this one seems much smaller and also much more expensive (admission cost, parking cost, food cost) to similar events I’ve been to such as the Fort Rowdy Gathering and the Piqua Heritage Festival. However, it’s still educational and there’s still plenty to take in. Prepare yourself for long lines, high prices, and vendors to start running out of food/​drinks early in the day. Plenty of activities for kids and neat to see the traditional canoe races.

The Feast of the Hunters Moon is the Grand Daddy of all Indiana Festivals in my opinion. It is a reenactment of a Military Fort/​Trading post on the American Frontier in the mid 1700’s
There are demonstrations of countless facets of frontier life as you would see in about 1755 or so. They range from Military cannon companies firing off their weapons, period canoe races on the river, to Native Americans demonstrating their traditional dances & games. Then later in the day you can take in a 18^th century fashion show or a sheep herding demonstration, all while you are sampling the gluttony of feast eatables, which are all cooked as close to the 18^th century methods as possible.
The aroma alone is worth the price of admission. A sniff of Ham & Beans cooked in an iron kettle over and open fire to your left, a wiff of apple dumplings being baked in brick ovens fired by wood to your right. The worst thing about the entire day, is having to choose what your stomach size limits you to. They also have a beer garden on the grounds if your into that, but I prefer the home made root beer booth, you buy a bottle for about $ 4 and then refills are $ 1, but the line is always LONG!
There are many merchant booths which sell pretty much anything you’d want to purchase in 1755. Anything from soap & perfume to an iron kettle to cook your own beans in, and everything in between.
It’s usually held in early autumn, the dates change with the cycles of the Moon. I always check the dates on the Web site early in the year to avoid missing it.
Fort Ouiatenon is located out in the sticks, at the far edge of West Lafayette, on the banks of the Wabash river exactly where it was located in the mid 18^th century. Parking at the site can fill up quickly and is on the pricey side. I’ve found the easiest way is to park at The Purdue stadium, where shuttles are free and frequent. Take the whole family there’s something for all ages, and go with an empty stomach.
One last parting tip for the ladies. There are a lot of merry men in kilts parading about at the feast. If you see a Scottish band on the program check them out, some dance their kilts up, and lets just say they didn’t wear tighty whities in 1755 ;)
2012 feast dates: Sept. 22^th & 23^th