Every October, people from all over head to the banks of the Wabash River southwest of West Lafayette to step back into the 1700s at the Feast of the Hunters’ Moon. The festival celebrates one of the oldest chapters in Indiana history, and it happens right in our backyard.
The story of Fort Ouiatenon
In 1717, the French built Fort Ouiatenon on the Wabash, about three miles southwest of today’s West Lafayette. It was a log stockade and trading post, and it was the first fortified European settlement in what is now Indiana. The name is a French version of the Wea word waayaahtanonki, meaning “place of the whirlpool.”
The fort sat near a large Wea village, and many Indigenous nations came to trade there, including the Wea, Kickapoo, Mascouten, Potawatomi, Piankashaw, Miami, Lenape and Shawnee. Fort Ouiatenon was one of three French forts in present-day Indiana, along with Fort Miami and Vincennes.
After the French and Indian War, the fort passed to the British and was later abandoned. American militia destroyed it in 1791, so it was never a United States fort. Archaeologists rediscovered the original site in the 1960s. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2021.
The blockhouse at Fort Ouiatenon Historical Park
The blockhouse many locals know was built in 1930 by Lafayette physician Richard Wetherill, about a mile from the fort’s true location. It is not an exact copy of the French fort, but it has become a landmark of its own. The Tippecanoe County Historical Association operates Fort Ouiatenon Historic Park and the Blockhouse Museum today.
The Feast of the Hunters’ Moon
The Tippecanoe County Historical Association has held the Feast of the Hunters’ Moon every fall since 1968. It recreates the yearly fall gathering of French traders and Native peoples at Ouiatenon, with costumed reenactors, period music and crafts, and food cooked over open fires. The name comes from the Hunters’ Moon, the full moon in October that follows September’s Harvest Moon.
The 59th Feast was held October 24 and 25, 2026, which makes next fall’s event the 60th. Watch the Feast’s website for 2027 dates.
Tips for your visit
- Dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. You will be on grass and uneven ground near the river.
- Bring cash or a card for food and handmade goods, and come hungry.
- If you have little ones, plan a rest break. There is a lot to see.
Your neighbors at Lafayette Insurance
We love living and working in a community with this much history. As a local, independent agency, we help families across West Lafayette, Lafayette and Tippecanoe County find the right home, auto and life insurance by comparing several companies. Call or text 765-474-2300 anytime during office hours.
Want more local history? Read a short history of Lafayette and West Lafayette and the story of the Battle of Tippecanoe.