Feast 2026: School Days

First Post of the Day

School Days is a soft opening of the Feast. Held on Friday, this was my second year of starting my Feast participation early.

To my delight, I could fit into my riding habit again! Perfect timing for School Days.

I was on my own for School Days this year, but it went well.

Thanks to some loans from Tim (a bearskin, an 18 lb ground weight for tethering, a powder horn, and a possibles bag among other things) and Leslie's 18th century side saddle, I was able to put together a nice display with some things that the kids could touch and handle as we talked. 

Because of Fort Ouiatenon's heavy historical influence on the area, there are a lot of living history groups located here. One of my favorites is the Voyageur Ancient Fife and Drum Corps, an under 18 fife and drum corps.

They are really good and play all over the country.

And lucky kiddos, they were invited to play with the US Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps during both of the Guard's performances at the Feast! What a wonderful opportunity for those kids!

During School Days, they popped up informally in various spots on the grounds. Look at the school kids run to them!

After School Days ended, I lingered and put the finishing touches on my own tent. I wanted to be able to arrive Saturday morning and to just open the flaps and begin.

I did get a chance to take some photos to share here on the blog.

Carol and her husband John put up a museum every year called Scoundrel's Alley. It's free and one of the things that should not be missed. It's not always the same museum, either. 

I did not get in to see it this year, but Carol had told me about the plans for it at Kalamazoo last March and I knew enough to be disappointed that I'd missed it!

I was thrilled to see that the beignet booth was across from me again.

And those beignet girls kept me well supplied this year again - I'll share about that in another post. Really, really nice young women.

Friends who were also volunteering for School Days dropped by. This is April, one of my earliest customers who has become a friend. I made his shirt and his stock (which is under his waistcoat.) 

A voyageur arriving with his canoe. It's on my bucket list to one day climb into one of those and paddle up and down the Wabash a little. I do know a voyageur who said they could make that happen, so...

It was a lovely day, the beginning of an immersion into the 18th century for a few days and in a location, Fort Ouiatenon, that has great meaning to me. Even more, that fort sits right on the Wabash, my river, and one I am deeply connected to.

As I prepared to leave for the day, I went across the grounds and up the ridge to Leslie's tent to say goodbye. She's a long way from the river and at a location that is much higher up than the rest of the grounds.

And yet, the sandy ground was evidence of the river's ebb and flow as time has passed. Even up on the ridge were exposed deposits like this one everywhere, soft and gentle on the feet or to touch. I looked at those sandy grounds and was moved deeply, knowing that that sand had been there long before the 18th century. 

A touch of history as a living history event readied itself to begin.

Stay 'tooned.

Feast Friday: School Days!

Feast Friday's School Days is in the books and what a day it was!

Although it started off COLD. The coldest it has been here since last Spring.

Luckily I have two cloaks of my own so I was able to loan one to Belle and we both stayed (relatively) warm.

The first person we saw as we rolled onto the grounds was Audrey. She was setting up the stage where she would be performing and had her husband and one of her sons with her. We chatted briefly and then Belle and I drove on to my site.

We hadn't been working too long when Audrey came over to my tent and asked if she could trade the blue cloak she'd bought yesterday for the green cloak I had hanging up in the tent.

Audrey, me, and Belle. (The small object you see peeking out from under Audrey's wig is her microphone.)

She explained that during rehearsal the previous evening, she'd realized that almost all her costumes were blue and she thought the green cloak would change that up.

No problem! We made the switch easy peasy.

Belle and I then got busy putting out the saddles, paintings, and artifacts that Tim had loaned us.

This year I am trying out a large two-sided chalkboard to advertise what I am selling, and I used it for School Days, too. (The orange ribbon is a signal that this is a site willing to demonstrate and teach kiddos.)

We set up two stations so that both of us could talk to groups of students. I think the shabraque (saddle blanket) made a great and unusual table covering plus it was part of what we shared.

We took some photos for me to use on my Jolis Chevaux Facebook page and to help me when I set up again next year - photos help me remember what worked and what did not.

Belle and I were both amazed at how many students thought the snaffle bit was a set of handcuffs. The three sizes of horseshoes garnered a lot of attention, too, as did the bearskin.

One of the best moments of the day was when these people came by. Totally by coincidence, they all arrived at my presentation at the same time! 

These folks are the 4th grade teachers and my former colleagues from Hershey Elementary (where I taught) and the 4th grade teachers from Lisa's school, Burnett Creek Elementary! (That's Lisa in the Purdue hat.)

Good people, all, and good friends, too.

I don't know how many people came by, but it was a lot and Belle and I both ended up a little hoarse from talking so much. (We both went home and took naps afterward.) She was such a help; I don't think I could do this without someone to help me because we were almost constantly busy. Having said that, I do plan to sign up again next year as a presenter.

It's Saturday now and in less than hour I need to put on today's clothing and head out to Ouiatenon. It's still cool this morning, but not cold like it was yesterday. I'm looking forward to being busy selling maple cakes, sleeve buttons, beeswax ornaments, and clothing as well as talking to friends and customers who have become friends. 

Oh, and I hope I can slip away and get a forfar bridie and some gingerbread for lunch. And some beignets! And some homemade root beer! And a croquignole or two! Apple blossoms! French onion soup! And...

This is the FEAST, after all!

Stay 'tooned!

 

Putting on the School Marm

I am a bit surprised at how excited I am to be participating in School Day this year. It's taking a lot of time to prepare, especially the documentation of items to be sure they were part of that time period, but that's also been part of the fun.

Currently my dining room is where I have the things I borrowed from Tim stashed. As I finish researching them, those going to the Feast will be packed up and those not will be returned.

Tim proved to be a wealth of information. I had no idea he had been interested in the time period and had things from it that I could borrow.

Like these two swords/rapiers.

They have dulled with time and have beautiful decorations.

He told me that these were actually more for military ceremonies than fighting, but when I researched them, the paintings I found had scenes of them being brandished during war.  I will continue to look for more information on them.

This cast iron tether weight was super cool! And heavy! (17.5 pounds on my scale.)

They were used to keep the horse from running off when there was nowhere to tie them. The rider would place it on the ground and the the reins would be tied to it. 

This part of a harness will be used to demonstrate what a harness looks like especially when compared to the saddles. It's not an 18th century harness piece, but it will still give the kids the general idea.

Bells!! That we now use for decor at Christmas and which I absolutely love.

In the 18th century, they were tied to animals to ensure that, if the animal was turned loose to graze, that it would be found again. (They were used on goats, cows, and sheep, too.)

These are one of my own sets of sleigh bells. Not 18th century but close enough to talk about how they were also put on harnesses to warn people of a coming carriage or wagon.

This woman uses them every year at the Feast but I've never met her - I'm too busy in my tent.

This next piece was something totally new to me - probably because my persona is more of a genteel seamstress and not one of the traders, trappers, or hunters.

This is called a "Possibles bag."

Carried by militia, frontiersmen, and hunters/trappers, possibles bags  held essential items for survival such as black powder, bullets, flint and steel, knives, jerky, and tobacco

Here is a smelting ladle used in making bullets and shot for muskets, fowling pieces, and pistols. It was used to pour the molten lead into bullet or shot molds.

Like this single ball mold.  Other molds could do multiple balls at one time.

A beautiful powder horn - a hollowed out cattle horn with a stopper on the end. Powder horns were used to hold gunpowder and keep it dry. Sometimes they were engraved with maps, names, dates, decorations, scenes, and more.

A large horseshoe with a clip and a nail still remaining.

A bearskin lap robe for riders and those in carts, wagons, and buggies. It was also used by the militias to cover up/keep dry gun powder while traveling. Farmers and indigenous people were known to sling one over a horse or mule's back and use it as a simple bareback pad.

Sadly, the hay bale hook is too modern (mid 19th century), but snaffle bits can be documented back to 1400 BC. It will be something I can let the kids touch and handle.

This smaller wheel (18 " in diameter or so) was used for goat carts and small wagons. A wagon wheel expert friend is checking to see if this one can be dated to the 18th century. If not, I'll return it to Tim. Fingers crossed.

The two sidesaddles are still in my car but I will bring them into the house this morning. I also have a dragoon blanket from my days as a rider in my high school dragoons.

You can see one in this painting of George Washington.

Belle (who will be helping me at School Day) is going to come over later today and try on riding habits and tricorns for her to wear. I've got an info sheet about all the items to give her as she will be answering questions at School Days, too.

Time is flying by!

Stay 'tooned!

The Feast: School Days

Fourth graders in Indiana study state history, and The Feast of the Hunters' Moon is a great way to learn about that history. Friday at The Feast is set aside for School Days and students from all over the state descend on Fort Ouiatenon.

Yesterday 3,000+ students enjoyed a day in 18th century Indiana. Since I am a sutler (merchant) and don't demonstrate or teach anything, my tent isn't open and I always volunteer to check in those students, teachers, and chaperones when they arrive. (Bus photos by Brooke Sauter.)

It is a massive undertaking as school bus after school bus rolls in, drops kids off, and then is guided to an open field for parking. There are several fields like this for parking, plus shuttle buses are run every ten minutes from parking lots on campus that Purdue University loans us. Like I said, it's a massive undertaking and I admire Leslie for being able to coordinate it all and make it run as smoothly as it does.

When all the buses have arrived and checked in, my duties are done. I took a few minutes to walk around the grounds and peek at some of the exhibits. This particular tent was a museum of the jobs that children did back then and this particular job caught my eye. I went over for a closer look.

Whoa! I'm a "Purefinder" only I don't get paid for it!

 A history of matches.

Lisa was there with her class but of course she could not spend too much time with me. We chatted a bit, I said hello to all her kids (several tried using the French I'd taught them to greet me and did good job!) and then she was off to see some other things with her students.

It was a successful day (aside from one lost student and one phone dropped into the porta-potty) but the student got back with her class and the phone (believe it or not) was rescued by a very brave soul.

Today we open for everyone, not just the students. We expect 46,000+ people, the weather is cool but gorgeous, and at last it is time to go.

Wish me luck!