feast of the hunters' moon.

Don't you just love family traditions? Don't you just love fall? What about fall family traditions?!?! Me too!! Us Hicks' have a crap-ton of traditions...and they are all super fun and super special.

One started while Burgess and I were students at Purdue. Every year in West Lafayette, there is the Feast of the Hunters' Moon festival. Basically, it's a festival at Fort Ouiatenon to celebrate the annual fall gathering of early French settlers and Indians. Fort Ouiatenon was more of a trading post (fur mainly) than an actual fort. Back in the 18th Century, French fur traders from Quebec would travel down the Wabash River and stop at Fort Ouiatenon to trade with the Indians. (whew...didn't think you'd get such a stellar history lesson so early in the morning, huh?) Anyway, it's a great festival. Everyone dresses up in 18th Century clothing and sells items that were around during that time.

This year, Mom and Dad couldn't go (Dad just had knee replacement surgery) so Burg and I decided to carry on the tradition ourselves. We took Big Dub with us...and Adam, who strangely had never been before. (Homeboy grew up in L-town and has lived there practically his entire life. We need to get him out of his hunting bubble in the fall more often...)

We had a GREAT fall day. A little chilly at first, but it turned out to be perfect fall day!

Aunt Kelbs and Big Dub! I just love this little booger!

Mommy and Big Dub. Little stinker doesn't like looking at the camera most of the time, but this is actually one of my favorite pictures.

A few months ago, Mom (or GG) got Big Dub this skunk hat from one of her many adventures. The Feast was the absolute PERFECT place for him to wear it. This is me and him enjoying some delish Fry Bread! By the way, I'm loving the new I LOVE THIS YARN colors from Hobby Lobby!! This sparkly raspberry color looks so good as a newsboy hat!)

The best $3 purchase of the day....a wooden gun for Big Dub. hahaha, doesn't he look like Davey Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier here?? He was so stinking funny with that thing!
We had such a fun day walking around at all the booths and of course, Burgess and I got some craft project ideas. Hopefully we can get those in the works soon. We also had our share of fabulous 18th Century food as we ate our way through the festival (they don't call it The Feast for nothing!)

We had:
Handmade root beer (nom nom)

Apple Dumplings

Buffalo Burgers (Burg and I each had 2...oops)

Ribeye Sandwich (Adam)

Fry Bread

hmmm...is that it???

The food is so good because it HAS to be prepared the way it was prepared wayyyy back in the day. Everything is so authentic.

Can't wait for The Feast next year!! Can't wait to introduce LBB (little Baby Brown) to another one of our traditions!!