Feast of the Hunters' Moon celebrates 45 years

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - The 2012 Feast of the Hunters' Moon wrapped up Sunday. The festival is in it's 45th year, and organizers continue to add new traditions to the Tippecanoe County Historical Association event.

Feast Coordinator, Leslie Martin Conwell, said the perfect weather and the allure of the feast brought the crowds to Fort Ouiatenon to celebrate.

"We can tell you by the amount of tickets we've sold, that we have had an outstanding crowd," Martin Conwell said. "It will be one of the best we've had in a long time"

The feast celebrates the 18th century fort, which was once a focal place for trade. Feast goers said the traditions keep them coming back.

"I like getting the buffalo stew, and playing the old games," Feast Attendee, Karlee Sparks, said.

"I've grown up here, and I've been to Fort Oiuatenon, and the Feast for 10 years running now," Feast Attendee, Jared Tate, said. "I always like coming out here to see the festivities, to see the bands play, and the hatchet throwing."

This year some new traditions were added. Martin Conwell said the Native American influence was increased.

"We really bumped up the Native American aspects of the programming," Martin Conwell said. "We have a new native drum. We have several new  native style woodland exhibits."

Jessica Deimer-Eaton brought one of those woodland exhibits.

"We have a lot of food you would've found here in Indiana [in the 18th century] being utilized," Deimer-Eaton said. "There are things like mussels, and fish, all the way to greens, and the historical types of corn."

Whether it's the old or the new, it's the traditions that will bring the crowds for years to come.