2011 Fort Lupton Heritage Festival

[Nighthawk]

Historic Fort Lupton is a fur-trader, mountain man era civilian fort. The Platte Valley Historical Society, 7 years ago, decided the fort needed to be restored and preserved.This Saturday, May 11, was the 7th annual Fort Lupton Heritage Festival, which is intended as a fundraiser for the project. My living history group, the Renaissance Scots, were as usual invited to participate. Seems this year is the Forts 175th anniversary!



We got camp set-up finished at dusk, and as the lighting was absolutely beautiful, I decided I had to go around and take some pictures. Here's the Fort at dusk!



The wall, as you can see in this picture, is not quite complete. This opening allows vehicles to haul equipment and materials, like enormous logs, into the Fort.



These were some of our neighbors:





In this one, on the right hand side, you can see the mark of the Roman Legion right next to us.



They had a roped off area that they told us had become Hadrian's Rope, hoping to keep us from raiding their camp!

Nighttime in the Fort! Notice the candle lamps burning in every window!





Inside the cantina. The place was hopping! I had to wait for a while to get these shots. I tried getting pictures of the people there, but the light was too dim and they didn't come out.

[Nighthawk]

Good morning, Fort Lupton! We were all woken by the bugles of the Buffalo Soldiers... at 5:30 in the morning!! Thanks, guys. Wish our bagpiper had been there to return the call...



The Revolutionary War Continental encampment:



I wish I had thought to get pictures of the Redcoat camp. Oh well- next year!

... getting the day started right... I guess...



I taught my son how to wrap a great kilt. He usually wear workman's pants, since he's a blacksmith and kilts and forges do not good bedfellows make, but his pants got torn, and we haven't replaced them. So a kilt it was!





The flag raising ceremony was started by the procession of the Continental soldiers:



The gentleman by the flag pole on the right is George Washington.



The Redcoats with Continental militia following them:



The militia:



Some of the participating groups, most notably in this picture, were the Denver Vikings and the Roman Legion:



There is more to come, but my wife wants me to pack up our camp blankets, so I better go do it!

[Bugbear]

Cool.
It would be interesting if someone also reenacted George Washington being a farmer, too.

[Nighthawk]

Next installment! The Buffalo Soldiers are the Color Guard every year.













These gentlemen are a well drilled, well disciplined unit, and for me, the highlight of the festival.

One little highlight from my day- I had to chip in and help at the forge.

[Nighthawk]

I decided this year that one of my projects would be to ditch the moccasins and make myself a period correct pair of shoes. I was in the middle of sewing the first one together when this gentleman and his son came over to me, wondering how those wonderful images got into my leather goods:




so I showed them! I went from a raw piece of leather to a finished image:





I used a beveler to texture the top half, and a background stamp to texture the bottom, showing him the 2 different methods that I prefer.

So throughout the course of the day, there were a couple battles between the Redcoats and the Continentals:



You can see the damage done to the Militia by the Redcoats- they were slaughtered!!



But in the end, the good guys won and advanced.



And last but not least, our clan piper:

[Santa Kona]

Looks like you had great weather great photos thanks for sharing them.

[Nighthawk]

Looks like you had great weather great photos thanks for sharing them.

It was beautiful! It was in the upper 70's and nice and sunny- not too hot, not too cold. Last year was really cold in the morning! This year was perfect.

[Riverkilt]

Thanks for the great shots! Feels like I made it up there. Love this kinda stuff!

[English Bloke]

Cheers, thanks for posting those. What a grand event. I'd love to get to something like that.

[Nighthawk]

Thanks for the great shots! Feels like I made it up there. Love this kinda stuff!

From you, Ron, that is indeed high praise!

Cheers, thanks for posting those. What a grand event. I'd love to get to something like that.

I'm lucky to have these kinds of historic locations near me. Fort Garland, which was a military fort, is about a 4 hour drive from me. They haven't hosted any events in the last couple years, thought. They used to have Civil War reenactments and mountain man rendezvous there when I was a kid. My used to take to them, which is what started my love of living history. Fort Lupton is host to a mountain man rendezvous in a couple weeks, though, so I think my wife and I will be attending that. It will be the first one in that I've gone to in years!! I'm pretty excited! I'll get pics of that one, too, for sure!