From left: Lauren Buches and Bill Koker of Greensburg dance during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier .
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
From center, left: Dance master Tom Mack of Lurary, Va., bows to Pamela Wolff of Ligonier during a dance lesson at the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Elizabeth Hobbs of Jeannette dances with Terry Kirsch of Carlisle during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Mary Fantozzi of Glenshaw dances with Ray Meloy of New Alexandria during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Bill Koker of Greensburg dances with Elizabeth Hobbs of Jeannette during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Guests dance to period music during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Dance mistress Lesley Mack (center) of Luray, Va., videos dancing guests during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
From left: Diane Moyle of Harrisburg, Dave Bybee of Harrisburg, Kristen Rylander of Carnegie and Michael Kijowski of Carnegie, gather for a photo during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
The Wayward Companions provide musical entertainment during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held at Jan. 5 Fort Ligonier.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
From left: Jo Rossi of Ligonier joins George and Olive Conte of Ligonier for a photo during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Guests dance silhouetted against the Wayward Companions musical group, during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier .
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Bill Koker and Lauren Buches, both of Greensburg, are crowned King and Queen during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier .
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
From left: Sally Nuckles of Greensburg, Pamela Wolff of Ligonier and Kristen Rylander of Carnegie gather for a photo during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5. at Fort Ligonier .
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
From left: Denise Wasemann of Ligonier joins Barbara and John Seibert of Ligonier for a photo during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
From left: Annie Urban, executive director of Fort Ligonier, joins Ruthie Stewart and John Beard of Ligonier and Julie Donovan, director of marketing and public relations for Fort Ligonier, for a photo during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
From left: Helene and Jim Paharik of Ligonier join Larry and Pat Smitley of Greensburg for a photo during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
From left: Dance mistress Lesley Mack of Luray, Va., Erica Nuckles, director of history and collections for Fort Ligonier, and dance master Tom Mack of Luray, Va., gather for a photo during the second annual Twelfth Night Celebration, held Jan. 5 at Fort Ligonier.
Fort Ligonier’s second annual Twelfth Night Celebration was a blast from the past, with guests in their Colonial best dress partying like it was 1776.
The Jan. 5 soiree in the fort’s Center for History Education laid the holiday season to rest, after one last hurrah including food, drink, music and dancing.
Playing an encore to last year’s inaugural event were the Wayward Companions, a Pittsburgh-based ensemble of classically trained musicians, who played tunes that would have been familiar to the Founding Fathers on strings, flute and drum.
Country-dance callers Tom and Lesley Mack of Luray, Va., also returned to guide revelers through the steps of popular period dances.
Annie Urban, the fort’s executive director, and Julie Donovan, director of marketing and public relations, circulated through the room, making sure everyone had enough to eat and drink. Meanwhile, staffers Erica Nuckles and Matt Gault were spied tearing up the dance floor.
Special treats included wassail and a traditional Twelfth Night cake baked with dried fruit and spirits and two dried beans tucked into the batter. Whoever finds the beans becomes royalty for the night.
In a happy coincidence, the beans were discovered by history buffs and real-life couple Bill Koker and Lauren Buches, who were quickly crowned king and queen.
Blazing a trail from the Pittsburgh area were Roscoe Lewis, Jeff Jones and Dave Bybee, accompanied by Diane Moyle. The trio portrayed soldiers who were garrisoned at Fort Duquesne during the French and Indian War.
Towering above the crowd was Dr. Bill Choby of Latrobe, who portrays the Father of Our Country. Choby revealed that he is working on a book about the young George Washington and his ties to fox hunting.
Also on hand was Brett Walker of Gloucester, Va., a journeyman boot and shoemaker who has been examining, cataloging and making a graphic record of Fort Ligonier’s vast collection of archaeologically derived shoe artifacts.
The Twelfth Night crowd also included George and Olive Conte, Jim and Jo Rossi, Ron and Theresa Gay Rohall, Jerry Schulteis and Janet Riordan, Yvonne Stack, Steve and Helen Patricia, James and Helene Paharik, Larry and Pat Smitley, James and Elena Sillaman, Fred and Marie Balzer, Ron and Elizabeth Hobbs, John Beard and Ruthie Stewart and Ray and Tami Meloy.
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review
staff writer. You can contact Shirley
at 724-836-5750, smcmarlin@tribweb.com
or via Twitter @shirley_trib.
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