Mardi Gras returns to Illinois
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The 25th Anniversary Fete du Bon Vieux Temps (Festival of the Good Old Days) will be held Saturday, March 5 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.
A fascinating lecture, "French Colonial Archaeology" presented by Robert Mazrim, will explore recent excavations conducted at a number of frontier and colonial sites in Illinois. Mazrim is outreach coordinator for the Illinois Transportation Archaeology Research Program and specializes in projects at colonial sites in Cahokia, Prairie du Rocher and Peoria, Illinois. The engaging presentation by Mazrim will begin at 2:30 p.m. in the Holy Family Log Church.
The 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.
Living history re-enactors of the 2nd Companie of the Regiment of Guyenne of the King's Army of France will take the stage to tell their story at the Cahokia Courthouse. Originally raised in 1687, the 2nd Companie were Grenadiers who were the only company of the Regiment assigned to New France (North America). Their narration will include episodes in the history of the Regiment, including their current participation in events across the U.S. and Canada. The Regiment du Guyenne will meet the public between 2 and 5 p.m. at the Cahokia Courthouse, a French Colonial log structure that was built in 1737 and is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Illinois.
The elegant Jarrot Mansion, built in 1810 and one of the grandest homes in early Illinois, will be available for informative restoration tours. Owner Nicholas Jarrot gained prosperity by plying a fur trade route from Cahokia to Prairie du Chien; speculated the sale of vast amounts of frontier lands; and served as Major of the town's militia during the War of 1812. Visitors will have a rare opportunity to see original wallpapers and "faux" finish details uncovered by conservation experts inside Illinois' oldest brick building during tours offered between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
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. A special 25th anniversary year admission to the dance will be offered at $5 per person, and volunteers who assisted at the first Fete 25 years ago will be admitted free to the dance. 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. Food, including a chicken dinner special, will be available for purchase, and the event is cash bar only.
Fete du Bon Vieux Temps is co-sponsored by Fete, Inc.; the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, which administers Cahokia Courthouse and the Jarrot Mansion; 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. 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.