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Old Fort Niagara hosts Patriots' Day Weekend

by jmaloni
Wed, Apr 11th 2012 12:15 pm

On Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22, Old Fort Niagara will host Patriots' Day Weekend, a special event commemorating the beginning of the American Revolution on April 19, 1775. Activities including musket firings, storytelling, living history presentations and a recruiting demonstration involving visitors in a mock battle are planned between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day.

"Although Patriots' Day is not a national holiday, it is still observed in parts of New England," said Jason Buckley, Old Fort Niagara's interpretive programs manager. "In fact, the Boston Marathon is usually run on Patriots' Day."

The American Revolution began 237 years ago this month when British troops marched out of Boston to seize military stores. They were met by Patriot militia at Lexington and Concord and driven back to Boston under heavy musket fire. Old Fort Niagara has a special connection to these historic events: Lt. Colonel Francis Smith, who headed the British column, served as commander of Fort Niagara before his reassignment to Boston.

Active duty service personnel and veterans will be admitted to the event free of charge with proper identification.

More information, including a schedule of activities, is available on Old Fort Niagara's website, www.oldfortniagara.org.

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