Breakfast with Santa @ Westview Baptist Church, Belleville, IL

Wow, only a couple short weeks away from Christmas! I better start my Christmas shopping and get the tree up or will have some very unhappy kiddos... This weekend was Breakfast with Santa at Westview Baptist Church in Belleville, Illinois. It seems like all had a great time. Frosty and Mrs. Frosty were very cheery and the kids loved them. I kinda think they upstaged Santa! Event picture slide show.

The Day After Thanksgiving... Belleville, Illinois Santa Parade!

No sooner do we have Thanksgiving under our belt and we are starting the Christmas holiday season! The highly attended Belleville, IL Santa Parade takes place the day after Thanksgiving. Some may be shopping but I can tell you there are lots of Bellevillians at the Santa Parade. It was a bit windy and chilly but we braved the elements along with countless others. The streets were lined with people, hot chocolate, candy and folding chairs. This was my first year but my family really enjoyed it. Quite an affair!

Please excuse the blurry Santa pictures. Was awaiting his arrival and he got by without getting a great shot. Oh well, maybe next year... What would the Santa Parade be without the climax of Santa's arrival. So, included the picture anyway. Santa Parade photos!

2007 Historical Illinois Reenactments | Fort de Chartres Rendezvous & Camp Dubois

Hello visitors... I thought I was the last person to ever have a blog. Never say never, I guess. A little about me: I am a on location photographer based out of Belleville, Illinois. When not doing photog biz, I like to take photos of local activities going on in my area.




I should have started this blog out when we had the Summer Rendezvous on June 2, 2007. Click here to see 2007 Fort de Chartres or Fort Chartres Rendezvous reenactment images. This year I had a splitting headache but didn't want to miss out on all of the great photo ops. Think I did really well considering... Always a fun event! Highly recommend it if you have never been. The Rendezvous takes place at Fort de Chartres, just outside Prairie du Rocher every year on the first weekend in June, which is June 7 and 8 in 2008. They also have other events throughout the year.

http://www.ftdechartres.com/ has all sorts of interesting facts about this unique midwestern event, including other scheduled events throughout the year, history of Fort de Chartres & links to other related sites.



Earlier this year, on May 12 & 13, I had the opportunity to photograph another interesting reenacting event, Camp River Dubois "Point of Departure" (to see slide show pictures or photo album click here), at the Lewis & Clark Visitor Center in Hartford, Illinois near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. One man was diggin' out the insides of a huge log, making a boat (keel boat?? he told me but the memory isn't what it used to be); there is a fort available for touring which is a replica of the fort where Lewis & Clark stayed before they departed on their journey; several people in costume were either milling around the fort or making candles, brooms, spinning yarn, firing guns, etc. It was a very entertaining and interesting historic event.



Both events are great family fun! Hopefully next year the weather will be as nice as it was this year. Be sure to check them out in 2008. All of these images are available as stock or fine art prints.