The 50th Annual Feast of the Hunters’ Moon and the 300th Anniversary of the founding of Fort Ouiatenon was held on Saturday, September 30th and Sunday, October 1st, 2017.
The Feast of the Hunters’ Moon (or simply ‘The Feast’) is the premier event for the Midwest fife and drum community, and is an opportunity to for all to gather, perform for each other, and share the type of communal bond that Eastern Corps would associate with an Ancient Muster. The Feast is much broader in scope and historical underpinnings than a typical Ancient muster, however.
The Feast is a re-creation of the annual fall gathering of the French and Native Americans which took place Fort Ouiatenon, a fur-trading outpost of the mid-1700’s. The event is held annually in early autumn on the banks of the Wabash River, four miles southwest of West Lafayette, Indiana. The event covers roughly 80 acres and concentrates on 18th Century life and the skills necessary for sustaining life. It is populated by musicians and craftspeople of many abilities and skills. Blacksmiths, cordwainers, carpenters, weavers, foods of all types, and more. It is truly a remarkable experience.
Fun fact – This is one of the few events on the planet where the fife and drum corps present can actually play Hell on the Wabash - ON THE BANKS OF THE WABASH!
The video shows some of the Midwest Corps that are marching into the morning opening ceremonies.
Our video starts with Theatiki Fife and Drum Corps marching in. Theatiki recently lost their founder Dave King, and all of the Corps present honored Dave's memory with muffled drums (black cloth over what would be the Regimental Crest, historically). Some also cased their colors, as would have typically happened for a memorial service.
Corps march through in the following order:
- 1st Michigan whose members are in reversed order, as Regimental musick would have done
- River Valley Fife and Drum Corps from Janesville, Wisconsin
- Great River Fife and Drum Corps of Alton, Ill
- Janesville Fife and Drum Corps
Prior to the start of this video the Tippecanoe Ancient Fife and Drum Corps lead the procession, followed by the Voyageur Ancient Fife and Drum Corps and the 42nd Royal Highlanders Pipe, Fife and Drum Corps.