OCT
11-12
Victory Season at Saratoga: Siege Living History Weekend
October 11–12, 2025
Fort Hardy Park/Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitors Center & Stillwater Blockhouse
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Event Details
Fort Hardy Park & Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitors Center
Revolutionary era soldiers return to Saratoga! Fort Hardy Park will host encampments on the original 1777 “Field of Grounded Arms” where British Regulars grounded their weapons upon surrender to the Americans.
Continental soldiers from Massachusetts 2nd & 3rd Regiments will encamp and speak to the American defenses & way of life in battles against Burgoyne’s British forces.
2nd Continental Artillery will demonstrate and speak to the importance of cannon to the American defenses and how units operated this vital, powerful weaponry. Download the schedule to see when they’ll fire their cannon daily!
British soldiers of His Majesty’s 24th Regiment will be on hand to discuss their efforts to restore legitimate government to the rebellious American colonies.
All camps are free to visit and open to the public during the hours and days listed above. Soldiers will show their cannon and muskets throughout the event and perform other martial activities, while they and the camp’s followers will cook food and sew clothing. Engage and be sure to ask these dedicated living historians lots of questions!
Knox Cannonball Crunch Stewart’s Shops Ice Cream
Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm
Date: Sat., October 11th
Location: Fort Hardy Park
Click the button below to access the complete itinerary so you don’t miss any of the engaging options and places!
Free Family Activities for All Ages
Take a look at some of the Fort Hardy Park – Gateway Visitor Center Events
Please be sure the download the complete itinerary below so you don’t miss any of the engaging options and places!
Shoulder Your Firelocks!
Do you know how to “Shoulder Your Firelocks” or “About Face!?” Calling all young recruits to report to Fort Hardy Park where you are invited to practice the Manual of Arms with wooden muskets and learn the commands continental soldiers would have lived by during the American Revolution.
Times: 11am, 1pm and 3pm ***Saturday Only
Draft Animal Rides
Draft Animals were the engines of the 18th century! Take a ride behind one of the draft horse teams that will be pulling cannons on sleds as part of our 250th Anniversary of Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery in December.
***Saturday Only 11am-3pm
Dogs in the Revolution?
Were there dogs in the American Revolution? Join local author Megin Potter inside the Gateway Visitor Center as she shares stories about dogs in this nation’s revolutionary beginnings from her new book, Saratoga Dogs: Past to Present. Books will be available for purchase and signings.
***Saturday 11am
Siege Field Guided Tour
Join Saratoga Town Historian Sean Kelleher, Vice Chairman of Saratoga 250, for a one-mile guided walk across the Siege Field, a crucial site of the Battles of Saratoga. Using original maps and first-hand accounts, this tour brings the 1777 Siege of Saratoga to life. Discover where fog, fire, and resolve shaped America’s freedom. Meet in front of the Gateway Visitor Center.
***Saturday 1pm
UPCOMING EVENTS
Fall Lecture Series: When the Declaration of Independence Was News
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.
Revolutionary Run for Veterans at Fort Hardy Park
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.
Fall Lecture Series: Did the Battle of Redbank bring France into the War of Independence?
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.
Fall Lecture Series: They Were Good Soldiers: African Americans Serving in the Continental Army
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.
Celebrating the 250th: Battles of Saratoga @250 Reenactments
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.
Celebrating the 250th: Turning Point Parade 2027
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
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.
