Sullivan County will mark America’s 250th anniversary with three days of living history, music, military demonstrations and remembrance during Patriots Weekend at Minisink Battleground Park in Barryville.
The free event will run from Friday, July 17, through Sunday, July 19, expanding the annual commemoration of the Battle of Minisink into a full weekend of activities.
Sullivan County Historian John Conway said Patriots Weekend is part of a continuing series of events organized to commemorate the 250th anniversaries of the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence.
“This is just the latest event in a succession of events,” Conway told Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo.
Friday: Exhibits, Demonstrations and the Story of Ned Hector
Patriots Weekend begins Friday at 3 p.m. with historical exhibits along the park’s midway and a musket demonstration by Fort Delaware staff.
At 4 p.m., reenactor Noah Lewis will present “Ned Hector, Revolutionary War Hero” inside the Benjamin Tusten Memorial Pavilion.
Lewis, who is traveling from Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, has previously appeared at Fort Delaware. His presentation explores the life of Ned Hector, a Black Revolutionary War soldier who served as a wagoner and artilleryman.
The park’s Revolutionary War encampments will be open to visitors from 5 to 6 p.m. Guests will be able to tour the camps, meet reenactors and ask questions about colonial life and military history.
Saturday: Declaration Reading, Skirmish and Battle Commemoration
Saturday’s activities begin at 10 a.m. with self-guided tours of the midway exhibits and another Fort Delaware musket demonstration.
At 11 a.m., Lewis will present “African Americans in the American Revolution” in the Tusten Pavilion. The program will examine the contributions and experiences of Black Americans during the war.
A public reading of the Declaration of Independence will take place at 1 p.m. at the Hilltop Clearing, followed by a Loyalist response.
The competing arguments will lead into a reenacted skirmish between Patriots and Loyalists at 2 p.m.
Conway said the demonstration reflects the deep divisions that existed within colonial communities during the Revolutionary War.
“People squared off to defend their ideas,” he said.
The Fort Delaware Fife & Drum Corps will perform at 2:30 p.m. at the Hilltop Clearing.
Colonial musician Linda Russell will follow at 3 p.m. Russell served for many years as the balladeer at Federal Hall in New York City, the site where George Washington was inaugurated as the nation’s first president.
Her program combines colonial-era music with stories about historic instruments and their importance in daily life.
The annual commemoration of the Battle of Minisink will begin at 4 p.m. New York State Historian Devin Lander will deliver the keynote address.
Guided walking tours of the battleground will be available at 5:30 p.m. and at additional times throughout the weekend. The encampments will remain open to visitors until 6 p.m.
Sunday: Military Drills and an Americana Block Party
Sunday’s activities at the battleground begin at 11 a.m., when members of the 5th New York Regiment will present military drills and demonstrations at the Hilltop Clearing.
The demonstrations will continue until approximately 1 p.m.
The celebration will then move to Eldred, where the Town of Highland will host an Americana Block Party from noon until 9 p.m.
The block party will feature food, live music, games and other activities celebrating the nation’s Semiquincentennial.
Remembering the Battle of Minisink
Conway said the Battle of Minisink is sometimes dismissed as a minor Revolutionary War engagement, but its local and historical importance remains profound.
An estimated 46 Patriots were killed in the battle. Their remains were left at the site for decades before an effort was made to recover them.
“The battleground is not just the battleground, but in many ways it’s also a burial ground,” Conway said. “It’s sort of a sacred place.”
He said the battle also demonstrates that the Revolutionary War was more than a conflict between two organized armies. It divided families, neighbors and entire communities.
Residents of the Cochecton settlement fought on both sides of the conflict.
“Minisink was just the perfect example of neighbors fighting against neighbors,” Conway said.
Bringing History Beyond the Textbook
Conway said living-history events can help children and families connect with the past in ways that books and films cannot always accomplish.
“When people can be immersed in it and see it sort of played out for them, it tends to have a much greater impact,” he said.
The encampments, reenactors, music and military demonstrations give visitors an opportunity to experience aspects of colonial life firsthand.
“You can’t duplicate it by watching a movie or reading a book,” Conway said. “It comes alive around you.”
Admission and Accessibility
All activities at Minisink Battleground Park are free and open to the public.
Transportation will be available to help visitors travel between the lower portion of the park and the Hilltop Clearing.
Because many of the activities will be held outdoors, the schedule may be affected by weather. Updates will be posted through The Delaware Company and the Sullivan County Semiquincentennial Commission.
Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History will be closed Friday, July 17, through Sunday, July 19, while its staff participates in Patriots Weekend.
Sponsors include The Delaware Company, the Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association, the Narrowsburg Union, Bold Gold Media, the Sullivan County Legislature and the Sullivan County Division of Parks, Recreation and Beautification.
More Semiquincentennial Events Ahead
Additional events planned for later this summer include the one-woman play “A Revolution of Her Own: The Deborah Sampson Story” at the Narrowsburg Union on Saturday, August 1.
A commemoration of the Battle of Chestnut Woods will take place in Grahamsville on Saturday, September 5.
The Narrowsburg Union will also host a screening of the film version of the musical “Hamilton” on Saturday, September 19.
More information about those events and other Semiquincentennial programs throughout Sullivan County is expected to be announced.