Prairie State Wire

The Fort de Chartres Rendezvous, an annual event in Randolph County, is set for June 7 and 8 at the Fort de Chartres State Historic Site. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Attendees can expect a range of activities including a flintlock muzzleloader shooting competition, period food and entertainment, artisan demonstrations, children's games from the 18th century, and military events. Admission to the Rendezvous is free, but parking will cost $10 per car. Donations are encouraged.

Located about four miles west of Prairie du Rocher at 1350 Illinois 155, the event is hosted by Les Coureurs des Bois de Fort de Chartres with sponsorship from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and Les Amis du Fort de Chartres.

Fort de Chartres marks the site of the last of three forts built by the French during their colonial occupation in what is now Illinois. Constructed in the 1750s, this third fort was a key military installation and government seat for the French in Illinois Country.

Declared a National Historic Landmark in the 1960s, portions of the fort have been imaginatively reconstructed. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

For further details about the Rendezvous, visit online resources or call 618-284-7230.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is celebrating its centennial year throughout 2025. Established as the Illinois Department of Conservation on July 1, 1925, IDNR oversees fish and game management, forestry, public works, lakes, state parks and historic sites among other responsibilities across approximately 400 sites in Illinois.

For more information about IDNR's work or history, visit their website at https://dnr.illinois.gov.