The 53rd Annual Fort de Chartres Rendezvous
Saturday & Sunday, June 3 & 4, 2023
The two-day popular annual Rendezvous, usually held the first weekend in June, features shooting competitions, military drills, dancing, music, food, and traders of eighteenth-century-style goods.
The boom of cannons, the smell of campfires and a parade of colorful uniforms will transport visitors back to the 1700s on Saturday & Sunday, June 3 & 4, 2023 at Fort de Chartres State Historic Site’s annual Rendezvous, the largest gathering of its kind anywhere in the Midwest, attracting many thousands to the site during this 2 day special event.
The Rendezvous features 1700s military units, traditional craft demonstrations, period music and dancing, black powder shooting events and cannon firings – all from the time when France controlled what is now Illinois. Visitors can try their hand at throwing a tomahawk, buy hand-made crafts, learn about French kitchen gardens, and watch swordsmen duel, taste delicious food and much more. This event is hosted by Les Coureurs des Bois de Fort de Chartres and sponsored by Les Amis du Fort de Chartres, with additional site support from the Illinois Historic Preservation Division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois Humanities.
The event is open and free to the general public with special event parking for this event just $5 a car. Donations welcomed. Please check back for updated information.
Event Flyer
Trader Rules & Info
Thank you to everyone who made the 52nd annual Rendezvous a success-participants, volunteers, donors, and the general public.
We look forward to seeing you in 2023!
52nd ANNUAL FORT DE CHARTRES RENDEZVOUS
Saturday & Sunday, June 4 & 5, 2022
10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday & Sunday
Participant competitions, military drills, dancing, music, food, and traders of eighteenth-century-style goods.
The boom of cannons, the smell of campfires and a parade of colorful uniforms will transport visitors back to the 1700s at Fort de Chartres State Historic Site’s Annual Rendezvous, the largest gathering of its kind anywhere in the Midwest, attracting many thousands to the site during this 2 day special event.
The Rendezvous features 1700s military units, traditional craft demonstrations, period music and dancing, black powder shooting events and cannon firings – all from the time when France controlled what is now Illinois. Visitors can try their hand at throwing a tomahawk, buy hand-made crafts, learn about French kitchen gardens, and watch swordsmen duel, taste delicious food and much more. This event is hosted by Les Coureurs des Bois de Fort de Chartres and sponsored by Les Amis du Fort de Chartres, with additional site support from the Illinois Historic Preservation Division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
The event is open and free to general public with special event parking for this event just $5 a car. Donations welcomed.
The Annual Fort de Chartres Rendezvous is made possible through the dedication of the Fort’s many volunteers and support organizations and through donations by businesses and individuals in our surrounding communities. All Fort de Chartres event funds raised thus far will be used to plan and present Fort site events in 2022. It has been a challenging few years for events at Fort de Chartres, but the health and safety of our visitors and participants is our top priority. A special thank you to the Fort de Chartres Rendezvous Committee for their efforts annually organizing this storied event!
Please check out the events page on this Fort de Chartres website for the updated list of scheduled 2022 events and dates.Thank you for your patience and understanding during the past two years of area flooding issues and the pandemic health crisis.
Schedule of Events
53rd Annual June Rendezvous at Fort de Chartres Schedule of Events
Scheduled Events Both Days
June 3 & 4, 2023
10:00 AM Opening Ceremony and Posting of Colours, w/Malcolm Duncan, Drum Major
10:00 AM-12:00 PM Primitive Archery Competition
12:00 PM-2:00 PM Knife and Hawk Throw Competition
12:30 PM Great River Fife and Drum Corps, Godfrey, IL (Parade ground)
1:30 PM Tippecanoe Ancient Fife and Drum Corps, Lafayette, IN (Parade ground)
3:30 PM 42nd Royal Highlanders Band of Pipes, Fifes, & Drums Lafayette, IN (Parade ground)
5:00 PM Retreat Ceremony w/Malcolm Duncan, Drum Major
Scheduled Events on Saturday and Sunday Only
Saturday, June 3rd
11:00 AM-12:00 PM Dance Discovery (Stage)
10:30 AM-12:00 PM Rifle and Smoothbore Competition (Shooting Range)
12:00 PM French Marine Drill (Parade ground)
1:00 PM-4:00 PM Rifle and Smoothbore Competition (Shooting Range)
2:00 PM-3:00 PM Booneslick Strings (Stage)
8:00 PM-10:00 PM A dance for all participants and visitors will be held inside the Fort.
Music provided by Booneslick Strings and dance calling by Deborah Hyland
Sunday, June 4th
8:00 AM Catholic Mass (Stage) Protestant Service (Food Court)
10:30 AM-11:30 PM Rifle and Smoothbore Competition (Shooting Range)
11:00 AM-12:00 PM Fashions of the 18th Century (Fashion Show) (Stage)
12:00 PM Mock Battle (Shooting Range)
2:00 PM-3:00 PM Dennis Stroughmatt et l’Espirit Creole
Both Days
The Peacocks Band and The Camp Followers Band will perform at various times during the day. Cannon firing demonstrations will also occur at various times throughout the event near the Shooting Range. The Fort’s master gardener will interpret the site’s historic kitchen garden and the Fort’s Priest Interpreter will be in the Chapel and Priest’s Room located inside the Fort.
The Rendezvous is hosted by Les Coureurs de Bois de Fort de Chartres and sponsored by Les Amis du Fort de Chartres, with additional event site support by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
The event is open and free to general public with special event parking for this event just $5 a car or $10 for a bus. Donations welcomed!
For information about this event schedule or participant rules, contact Les Coureurs de Bois de Fort de Chartres via email at lcdbdfdc1976@gmail.com. General visitor event questions for the June Rendezvous can be emailed to Les Amis du Fort de Chartres at lesamisdufortdechartres@gmail.com. You can also visit our website, www.fortdechartres.us, for information about this event, future events and the organizations associated with the fort. If you would like more site information, please call Fort de Chartres State Historic Site at 618-284-7230.
Fort de Chartres is located at 1350 IL Route 155, 4 miles west of Prairie du Rocher. It is open Thursday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Take Route 3 to Route 155 and follow the Rendezvous signs. There are no modern camping facilities.
The site is operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources – Historic Preservation Division. IDNR protects the state’s historic resources, which contribute to education, culture and the economy. IDNR sites include ancient burial mounds, forts and buildings erected by settlers, and homes connected to famous Illinoisans.
Thank you for your understanding.
Click here to view the 2021 Annual Fort de Chartres Rendezvous Video by Dave Horne
Thank you to the 52nd Annual Fort de Chartres Rendezvous Sponsors
for helping safeguard this signature event for Fort de Chartres and our community!
$1000 Gold Level
Buena Vista National Bank, with Branches in Red Bud, Evansville, Chester, & Prairie du Rocher
$500 Silver Level
Kaskaskia Regional Port District
$250 Bronze Level
Community Foundation of Prairie du Rocher
Harrisonville Telephone Company (HTC)
Illinois Country Harvest
Ken & Jena Oakley-Kopriva
LAdFdC Heart of Illinois Country Heritage Shop
PdR Hemp Co.
Plumbing Solutions
Prairie du Rocher Chamber of Commerce
Red Bud Masonic Lodge 427
$100 Copper Level
Herman & Karyn Albers
American Legion Post #622-Prairie du Rocher, IL
First National Bank of Steeleville
Red Bud Industries, Inc. ($200)
George Weber Chevrolet Co.
Memorial Donations
Edward & Carol Dufrenne Memorial $2510
LAdFdC Memorial Donation for Jim Klein & Bill Rudolph $100
$5000 Special Events Grant-Illinois Humanities*
*Illinois Humanities, the Illinois affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is a statewide nonprofit organization that activates the humanities through free public programs, grants and educational opportunities that foster reflection, spark conversation, build community, and strengthen civic engagement.
Merci!
50th-51st Annual Fort de Chartres Rendezvous Event Donors
Les Coureurs des Bois and Les Amis du Fort d Chartres would like to thank the following businesses for their sponsorship of the 50th Annual Rendezvous at Fort de Chartres.
Please let these businesses know that we appreciate their support of the event and the surrounding communities that benefit from the event!
$1000 Gold Level-City of Waterloo, Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail (Pledge), Randolph County Tourism (Pledge)
$500 Silver Level-City of Columbia, Les Coureurs des Bois de Fort de Chartres, Millice de Ste. Famille, Randolph County Tourism (Pledge)
$250 Copper-Allsup, Dave’s Pontiac & Parts, Easton Farm & Trucking Co., Harrisonville Telephone Company (HTC), Hopskellar Brewing Company, Illinois Country Harvest, Kaskaskia Regional Port District, Jena Oakley & Ken Kopriva, Lisa’s Market Street Grille, MAR Graphics, Myers Korner Market, Plumbing Solutions, Prairie du Rocher Chamber of Commerce, Randolph County Cowboy Church, Red Bud Masonic Lodge 427, Second Chance Consignments
$100 Pewter Level-American Legion Post #622, Boondocks Tavern, Lon Brauer, Colonial Iron, Cooper & Liefer Law Offices, The Connor House B & B, Griggs Advertising, Healing Elements, Horse Prairie Mutual Insurance Co.,LAdFdC Memorial donation for Robert (Bob) Barber, Miller’s Meat Market, Reliable Sanitation, The Rocher Pub, Djuana Tucker, Sheldon Pewter
$50 Lead Level-Mohr Softwater & RB PHCE Contractors
Thank you to Sheldon Pewter for their Merci event medals donation ($525 value) and to the Red Bud IGA for their donation of fruit for the kids’ games.
To read Dave Horne’s article about the Fort’s 300 year-old history click HAPPY 300TH BIRTHDAY FORT DE CHARTERS
To support the Les Amis du Fort de Chartres 2020 Special Events Giving Campaign-–DONATE Special Events now!
Les Amis du Fort de Chartres Special Events Giving Campaign downloadable form available by clicking here..
We sincerely thank our Les Amis du Fort de Chartres 2020-2021 Special Events Corporate Giving Campaign Sponsors as of 6/10/2020
$1000 Gold Level
Buena Vista National Bank, with Branches in Red Bud, Evansville, Chester, & Prairie du Rocher
$500 Silver Level
Kaskaskia Regional Port District
$250 Bronze Level
First National Bank of Steeleville
Harrisonville Telephone Company (HTC)
The Material Works
Red Bud Masonic Lodge 427
$100 Copper Level
American Legion Post #622-Prariie du Rocher, IL
MAR Graphics
Red Bud Industries, Inc. ($200)
Merci!
For more information concerning Fort de Chartres 2020 Special Events, email lesamisdufortdechartres@gmail.com.
For additional Fort site information, contact (618) 284-7230
Happy 50th Birthday Rendezvous article written by Dave Horne
There are a lot of special events at Fort de Chartres, but the Rendezvous held in June has always been the most popular. For 48 years now thousands of visitors and hundreds of participants have made the Rendezvous one of the biggest and best historic reenactments in the Midwest. ‘Course if you ask one of the participants they’ll tell you it IS the Biggest and it IS the Best anywhere, some call it “The Grand Daddy of them all!” We’ll let you decide.
Visitors strolling through the fort will find artisan and craft demonstrations that include pottery, blacksmithing, metal-working in silver and pewter, felt-making, silk ribbon embroidery, weaving and woodworking. Many items will be for sale. Music pops up throughout the weekend with performances from fife-and-drum troops, string bands, folk duos, and more.
The River Gate Food Court will feature a variety of period food, drink and musical entertainment under a large tent.
The Rendezvous features 1700’s military units, traditional craft demonstrations, period music and dancing, black powder shooting events and cannon firings all from the time when France controlled what is now Illinois. Visitors can try their hand at throwing a tomahawk, buy hand-made crafts, learn about French kitchen gardens, watch swordsmen duel, taste delicious food, and much more.
Opening ceremonies occur both days at 10 AM followed by event activities, ending with a retreat ceremony at 5 PM. A dance for all participants and visitors will be held Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m. inside the Fort.
The Fort de Chartres 48th Annual June Rendezvous is made possible through the dedication of the Fort’s many volunteers and support organizations. This annual event is presented by Les Coureurs des Bois de Fort de Chartres and sponsored by Les Amis du Fort de Chartres, with additional event site support by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
While you’re at the Rendezvous make sure you stop by and talk to the folks from Les Amis and Les Coureurs des Bois and check out the Rendezvous T-Shirts they have for sale. You can show off to your friends that don’t have one and help to Fund the Rendezvous! All proceeds from the T-Shirt sales stay right here at Fort de Chartres to help finance the special events!
And If you would like an opportunity to donate directly to support the 48th Annual June Rendezvous, a donation link is listed below.
Please donate now to help us present this annual landmark event, we could really use your support! All funds raised through the following donation link are used to present the 48th Annual June Rendezvous at Fort de Chartres ONLY-thank you for support of this historic event. DONATE HERE!
For Event and Trade Rules:
2018-Rendezvous-Event-Trade-Rules
For Event Competition Rules:
For the Event Schedule:
2018 48th Annual June Rendezvous at Fort de Chartres Schedule of Events
