Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
05/17/2026 | Press release | Archived content
Experience history at the Fort de Chartres Rendezvous June 6-7
SPRINGFIELD - The Fort de Chartres Rendezvous, a popular annual southern Illinois tradition, will take place June 6-7 at the Fort de Chartres State Historic Site in Randolph County.
The Rendezvous is free and open to the public. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Highlights include a flintlock muzzleloader shooting competition; period food, drink and entertainment; artisan and craft demonstrations; 18th-century children's games; militia and military events; and more.
Special-event parking is available for $10 per car. Donations are welcome. The event is hosted by Les Coureurs des Bois de Fort de Chartres and sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Les Amis du Fort de Chartres.
The Fort de Chartres State Historic Site is at 1350 Illinois 155, about four miles west of Prairie du Rocher. The site marks the location of the last of three successive forts named "de Chartres" built by the French during their 18th-century colonial occupation of what today is Illinois. The third fort, erected in the 1750s, served as the French seat of government and its chief military installation in the Illinois Country.
The historic site features an imaginative reconstruction of portions of the third fort and was declared a National Historic Landmark in the 1960s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. For more information, go online or call 618-284-7230.
About IDNR
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources was established in 1925 as the Illinois Department of Conservation, bringing under one umbrella oversight of fish and game, forestry, public works, and lakes. Today, IDNR's work encompasses management of about 400 sites across Illinois, including state parks and historic sites; wildlife, fisheries, forestry, and natural heritage; Lake Michigan water allocation and coastal management; conservation police; mines and minerals; oil and gas; issuance of licenses, permits, and numerous grants; the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta; and the Illinois State Museum. Visit https://dnr.illinois.gov and follow us on Facebook , YouTube and LinkedIn .
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency published this content on May 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 19, 2026 at 15:09 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]