Revolutionary War history comes alive at Cantigny
History comes to life at Cantigny! Join Cantigny and the North West Territory Alliance for their annual two-day Revolutionary War Re-enactment on Sept. 13-14 that will take you straight back to the 1700s — no time machine required.
Walk through authentic camps, meet reenactors, and see what daily life was like for soldiers and civilians alike. There will be live battle demonstrations (yes, with muskets), and plenty of sights, sounds, and stories from the era.
Feeling hungry? Grab a bite — food will be available for purchase throughout the day. It’s a full weekend of history, fun, and fresh air from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday on the parade field and polo field of the museum, 1S151 Winfield Road in Wheaton. Admission is free but there is a $16 per car parking fee. There also will be food available for purchase.
Both days will begin with the morning troops meeting at 10 a.m. in the camp area. Webb's Band of Music & Heritage Dance will perform at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the camp area and the band only at 11 a.m. Sunday under the trees. The River Valley Fife & Drums perform at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the camp area.
Check out the children's games at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Artillery Camp. The Team Tomahawk competition will begin at 1:30 Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
At 12:30 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, there will be a Parade of Uniforms, Women's & Children's Clothing under the trees.
On Saturday, watch the artillery demonstration at 11 a.m. on the parade field, followed by the battle at 11:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.
Follow along with a reading of the Declaration of Independence at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the camp area.
On Sunday, there will be a church parade starting at 10:30 a.m. It will be followed by an artillery demonstration followed by a battle at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The closing colors will be at 4:45 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the parade field.
Visit cantigny.org or facebook.com/NorthWestTerritoryAlliance/.
The North West Territory Alliance is an American Revolutionary War reenactment organization located in the Midwest, with members from states as far west as Iowa, east to Ohio, north to the Canadian border, and south to Tennessee. It is a nonprofit educational organization that studies and recreates the culture, lifestyle, and arts of the time of the American Revolution, 1775-1783. The group strives to duplicate the uniforms, weapons, battlefield tactics, and camp life of the era as accurately as possible.