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JUN

29

Celebrating Lafayette, Liberty, and Legacy

June 29, 2025

Champlain Canal Gateway Visitor Center & Schuyler House

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Join us for a bicentennial commemoration of the Marquis de Lafayette’s 1825 return to Schuylerville, honoring the enduring Franco-American bond and Saratoga’s vital role in shaping global democracy.

Lafayette Tour sign across from the General Philip Schuyler House in Schuylerville, NY—part of Saratoga National Historical Park and a key stop on the French hero’s 1824–1825 farewell tour.
1824 portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette by Ary Scheffer, painted during his triumphant return to the United States. The original hangs in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Event Details

This free public event begins at 12:30 PM at the Champlain Canal Gateway Visitor Center, launching a ¼-mile community procession along the historic Old Champlain Canal Towpath to the Schuyler House, where the formal program begins at 1:00 PM.

The event is rain-or-shine, with speakers and audience seated under cover.

Please note: No food vendors, shuttles, or public transportation provided. Restrooms and water stations are available onsite.

  • Date:

    Sunday, June 29, 2025

  • Time:

    12:30 – 2:30 PM

  • Location:

    Champlain Canal Gateway Visitor Center & Schuyler House, Schuylerville, NY


Schedule

  • 12:30 PM
    Procession begins at the Visitor Center (31 Ferry St, Schuylerville)
  • 1:00 PM

    Program begins at the Schuyler House, National Park Service site

Highlights Include

  • Commemorative wreath laying
  • Reflections by National Park Service rangers and local historians
  • Honor guards and ceremonial presence by the Masons, Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution
  • Celebrating 200 years of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour

Additional Information

A bicentennial celebration of Lafayette’s 1825 return to Schuylerville and the enduring Franco-American bond. Join us as we honor this historic moment with cultural festivities, historical reenactments, and tributes to the lasting friendship between France and the United States.

This commemorative event marks 200 years since General Lafayette’s celebrated return to Schuylerville in 1825, a key stop on his grand tour of the United States. It serves as a tribute to Lafayette’s enduring legacy as a hero of the American Revolution and a symbol of the deep-rooted friendship between France and the United States. Attendees can look forward to a variety of engaging activities, including historical presentations, live performances, and community gatherings that highlight the shared ideals of liberty and alliance that continue to unite both nations.


Presented by: Saratoga 250 & Saratoga National Historical Park

For more information, visit: nps.gov/sara
Sean Kelleher | kelleherseanp@gmail.com

UPCOMING EVENTS

Using a variety of archival sources and research techniques, Saratoga National Historical Park Curator Christine Valosin will talk about six different women with ties to the Schuyler family or estate, illuminating little known stories of their lives during the turbulent years of the American War for Independence.

Published for the 250th anniversary of the United States, When the Declaration of Independence Was News focuses on the nation’s founding document at the moment of its creation in 1776, before anyone knew what the legacy of the Declaration would be or if the United States would win the war against Great Britain.

Saratoga250 will have a presence at the Saratoga County Revolutionary Run for Veterans, a 5k run at Fort Hardy Park which benefits Saratoga County Veterans.

Americans generally assume that the surrender of Sir John Burgoyne to General Horatio Gates at Saratoga on 17 October 1777 caused France to openly enter the American War of Independence. The American leadership interpreted the defeat at Saratoga within their military and political needs. Saratoga was of great military importance, an immense morale booster and extensively used for propaganda purposes. But France’s decision to join the American rebels came after years of preparation and was by no means monocausal.

The role of African Americans, free and enslaved, in the regiments of the Continental Army is not well-known; neither is the fact that relatively large numbers served in southern regiments and that the greatest number served alongside their white comrades in integrated units. John Rees will discuss black soldiers’ acceptance, service, and experiences during and after the War for American Independence, focusing on those who served in Continental regiments. African American women with the army will also be featured.

Watch history come alive at the 250th Battles of Saratoga Reenactment. Two days of live muskets and maneuvers, October 9–10, 2027 in Saratoga, NY.

Join the Turning Point Parade marking 250 years since the Surrender at Saratoga. October 17, 2027, 10am in Schuylerville, NY.

    Keep America’s Turning Point Alive icon-star-red

    Keep America’s Turning Point alive for generations to come by making a tax-deductible donation to the Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc. Our certified 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and preservation of critical assets of the Battles of Saratoga. Your support will help promote historical awareness of new generations of people across the region, nation, and globe.