FETE DU BON VIEUX TEMPS FEBRUARY 25 IN OLD CAHOKIA

CAHOKIA, IL - The 20^th Annual Fete du Bon Vieux Temps (Festival of the Good Old Days) will be held Saturday, February 25 at several historic sites in the Old Cahokia vicinity.  All events are free and open to the public except where noted.

 

            The Fete is a colonial Mardi Gras with music and dancing reminiscent of the celebrations held by the area's French settlers more than 200 years ago.  Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, marked the end of the traditional French social season that began on the twelfth night after Christmas.  It also offered the last opportunity for the villagers to celebrate with galas, feasting, and dances before the penitence of the Lenten period.  

 

The elegant Jarrot Mansion, one of the grandest homes in territorial Illinois, will provide the setting for local militia to confer about 1812-era issues on the frontier.  Owner Nicholas Jarrot served as Major of the town's militia during the 1812 conflict. Visitors will also have a rare opportunity to see original wallpapers and "faux" finish details recently uncovered by conservation experts inside Illinois' oldest brick building during tours offered between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

 

A fascinating early social history of the old French village of Prairie du Rocher will be the topic of a presentation by Dr. Margaret K. Brown at 3 p.m. in the Holy Family Log Church. 

 

The Holy Family Log Church will host informative tours from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., with the celebration of Mass beginning at 5 p.m.  Original mission artifacts, including a tulip chalice and matching candlesticks, will be on special display during the Fete.

           

Eighteenth century dance demonstrations by "Dance Discovery" performed to the music of the Tu' Penny Uprights will be featured at the Cahokia Courthouse. The public is encouraged to participate in these French colonial dance performances. 

 

Nearby, the Martin-Boismenue House State Historic Site will offer a special "Frontier Firearms" exhibit from 2 to 5 p.m.  Collector and gunsmith Ed Hamberg of Alton will interpret weaponry of the 1790-1810 period.  In addition, he will explain design and construction, usage, and the evolution of firearms during this frontier period. 

 

The walkways to all of the historic buildings involved in the Fete will be illuminated by candlelight.

           

La Danse de le Fete will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, Route 3 South at Fifth Street.  Tickets are $8 per person.  Music will be provided by Fiddlin' Geoff Seitz and Friends, and period dances will be performed, including contre-dances, reels and waltzes.  Mardi Gras trinkets such as bead necklaces will be given away, and attendees will participate in the traditional selection of Mardi Gras royalty.

Food, including a chicken dinner special, will be available, and the event is cash bar only.

           

Fete du Bon Vieux Temps is co-sponsored by Fete, Inc.; Regions Bank; the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, which administers Cahokia Courthouse, the Jarrot Mansion and the Martin-Boismenue House; and the Knights of Columbus Council 4596.  Other expenses have been underwritten by various Cahokia civic organizations.

           

The Cahokia Courthouse and Jarrot Mansion State Historic Sites are located at the intersection of Highway 157 and Route 3 in Cahokia.  The Courthouse, built in 1737, is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Illinois and was the center of political and judicial activity in the Northwest Territory until 1814.  It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday for free public tours.  The Jarrot Mansion is one of the oldest masonry buildings in the state and retains almost all of its original features.  It is open to the public only for special events like the Fete.  The Martin-Boismenue House was built in 1790 by Pierre Martin.  It is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by request.