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.