Event created by madPete
La Guiannee at Fort de Chartres
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Wednesday, December 31, 7 PM-9 PM
@ Fort de Chartres State Historic Site, at 1350 IL Route 155, 4 miles west of Prairie du Rocher. The event is open and free to the general public. For site information call (618) 284-7230 or for event information, email lesamisdufortdechartres@gmail.com.
The Prairie du Rocher La Guiannee visits the site to play period music and sing.
In a traditional celebration dating back to 1722, the La Guiannee singers will visit houses and Fort de Chartres in the early French town of Prairie du Rocher and sing for the residents. As part of the tradition, the residents provide refreshments for the singers at each stop. It is cosponsored by Fort de Chartres and the Prairie du Rocher La Guiannee Society.
Fort de Chartres State Historic Site, which includes its historic Powder Magazine structure, widely considered the oldest building in Illinois, is located only an hour from downtown St. Louis, at 1350 IL Route 155, 4 miles west of Prairie du Rocher, Illinois.
The site is operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Natural Resources. IDNR protects the state’s historic resources, which contribute to education, culture and the economy. IDNR sites include ancient burial mounds, forts and buildings erected by settlers, and homes connected to famous Illinoisans. For more site information, call Fort de Chartres State Historic Site at 618-284-7230 or visit www.fortdechartres.us.
Les Amis du Fort de Chartres, “Friends of Fort de Chartres,” is a not-for-profit organization made up of volunteers striving to preserve, protect, and interpret the physical structural and cultural heritage of Fort de Chartres in the 1700s. More information about Les Amis du Fort de Chartres and its efforts sponsoring special events at Fort de Chartres, can be found at http://www.fortdechartres.us/les-amis-du-fort-de-chartres/.
General Fort de Chartres History-Fort de Chartres was built by the French military in the 1750s. It served as the seat of government and chief military installation in Illinois when France controlled the territory. The British then took it over and used it until 1772. The site was declared a national historic landmark in 1960. The fort’s powder magazine is the oldest building in Illinois.
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