Weather a big plus for the Grande Levée

Probably the biggest advantage to holding the Grande Levée on Father’s Day weekend for more than four decades was that it was easy for both local residents and tourists to keep the event on their calendars.
But the 42nd period celebration on the grounds of Illinois’ oldest capitol proved that moving the date is really not that big of a deal.
This year’s Grande Levée is drawing rave reviews, mostly because of the weather.
The fact that the celebration was held in conjunction with Corn Day obviously helped draw people to the Vandalia Statehouse, and Vandalia’s downtown, in general.
But many people – including period crafts people, other participants and attendees – commented most on the weather.
One of the disadvantages of holding the Grande Levée on Father’s Day weekend has been the weather – more often than not, the celebration fell during stifling heat and high humidity.
The weather could not have been more perfect on Saturday – sunny and pleasantly cool.
Statehouse Site Superintendent Mary Cole said last week that if the Grande Levée went over well this year, she would like to see it moved permanently to the fall.
We agree with her.
Granted, it will take some time for regular attendees to remember the dates for the celebration, but that can easily be remedied by picking a certain weekend, say, the third or fourth weekend in September.
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