The Tippecanoe County Historical Association has announced that the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps will perform at the 59th annual Feast of the Hunters’ Moon, set for October 24-25, 2026, at Fort Ouiatenon Historic Park near West Lafayette.
The U.S. Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps is the only unit of its kind in the United States Armed Forces. It is part of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, traditionally known as “The Old Guard,” the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the U.S. Army.
The Old Guard serves as the Army’s official ceremonial unit and escort to the President.
For more than 60 years, the Corps has served as a national musical ambassador, performing at presidential inaugurations, White House arrival ceremonies, state functions and public events throughout the United States and around the world.
“This is an incredible honor for the Feast and an exciting opportunity for our community,” said Feast Event Manager Brooke Sauter. “The Corps’ performance will give visitors an opportunity to hear the music of early America performed by some of the nation’s most accomplished Soldier-musicians in a setting devoted to interpreting the 18th century.”
The Corps performs in uniforms patterned after those worn by musicians of General George Washington’s Continental Army. The uniforms and musical traditions represented by the Corps correspond with the Feast’s 1717-1791 period of interpretation.
Music a Major Part of the Feast
Music has long been central to the Feast of the Hunters’ Moon. The event regularly welcomes eight fife and drum corps, along with the bagpipers of the 42nd Royal Highlanders.
One of the Feast’s performance arenas is dedicated to period music throughout the weekend.
Regular performers include three Lafayette-based ensembles: the Tippecanoe Ancient Fife and Drum Corps, the Voyageur Ancient Fife and Drum Corps, a youth corps, and the 42nd Royal Highlanders.
At the conclusion of each day, the Feast’s musical ensembles gather for a massed bands performance in the Ridge Arena, with participating fifes, drums and bagpipes performing together.
The U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps’ scheduled appearance follows the 2025 visit of the Middlesex County Volunteers, a fife and drum corps that traveled from New England to perform at the Feast.
“Welcoming the Middlesex County Volunteers last year was a tremendous experience,” Sauter said. “We look forward to continuing that musical programming in 2026 with performances by The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and the various other corps that participate in the Feast each year.”
Feast of the Hunters’ Moon
The Feast of the Hunters’ Moon re-creates the annual fall gathering of French and Native peoples that took place at Fort Ouiatenon, a French fur-trading post established along the Wabash River in 1717.
Fort Ouiatenon was the first fortified European outpost in what is now Indiana and an important center of trade and cultural exchange during the 18th century.
Each year, thousands of reenactors, artisans, musicians, demonstrators and volunteers transform Fort Ouiatenon Historic Park into an immersive representation of life on the colonial frontier.
Visitors can experience period music, military demonstrations, traditional crafts, historic foodways, cultural interpretation and activities for all ages.
The 2026 Feast will be held Saturday, October 24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT, and Sunday, October 25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT.
The U.S. Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps is scheduled to perform during both days of the event. Specific performance times will be announced in the complete event schedule.
Participation by The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps does not constitute endorsement of the Feast of the Hunters’ Moon, the Tippecanoe County Historical Association, event sponsors, participating organizations or their activities by the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense.
Advance tickets and additional information are available through the Feast of the Hunters’ Moon website. Information about the U.S. Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps is available through the U.S. Army.
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About the Feast of the Hunters’ Moon
The Feast of the Hunters’ Moon is presented by the Tippecanoe County Historical Association in cooperation with the Tippecanoe County Parks and Recreation Department and with support from Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette.
The annual event interprets the people, cultures and activities associated with the 18th-century gatherings at Fort Ouiatenon, a National Historic Landmark located along the Wabash River southwest of West Lafayette, Indiana.