Heritage Days

This month I wrote an article on Heritage Days at Lewis and Clark. It's on the front page! I took all the photos in the articles too. I can't wait for the issue to come out (it get's printed today). Heritage Days was really cool and fun so I thought I'd share my article and some pictures:


On September 25th and 26th Lewis and Clark took a step back in time. The campus was home to Heritage Days. Heritage Days is a living history festival designed take guest back in time to the 1700-1840 time period. This year marked the 31st celebration of this annual event.
Heritage days featured various sorts of crafts. Guest had the opportunity to make bows, much like the ones used by early settlers for hunting. There was also rug braiding and rugs available for sale, and presentations on natural dying. There were live cannon demonstrations and story telling, along with wood carving, and a voyager canoe.
Traditional food was also available. This included tasty treats such as turkey legs, corn in the husk, homemade soup, and pumpkin rolls.
All participants dressed in traditional clothing from the 1700s-1840s. Old dresses, military coats and trousers were plenty. Dancers preformed and period musicians played to help the guest get a feel for the time they had taken a step back into.
The event was held by Alton Heritage Days, Inc. They are a non-profit organization whose goal is to educate the public in the customs, manners, clothing, food, and tools used by the early settlers of the 1700-1840. They did just that participants and guest alike left with an exciting experience and better understanding of the life of an early settler.