Cantigny hosts first fireworks in 20 years at Revolutionary War Weekend
Cantigny’s annual Revolutionary War Weekend returns with the North West Territory Alliance for a two-day Revolutionary War Reenactment on June 13-14. Get a feel for camp life, experience a battle, and enjoy fireworks at Cantigny for the first time in 20 years.
Bayonet, musket and rifle demonstrations, tomahawk competition, candlelight procession, and a reading of the Declaration of Independence are just a sampling of the highlights.
Enjoy a weekend full of historical demonstrations and battle reenactments from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at 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 pavilion/playground area. On Saturday, the battle reenactments will be held at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the parade field. Between the battles at 11:30 a.m., ask about medicine on the battlefield. It will be followed by a bayonet demonstration at 3 p.m. and artillery salute at 6 p.m.
Stop by the east porch of the McCormick House to see 18th-century watercolor artist demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.
Feel the beat of history with fife-and-drum performances in the beer garden both days. The 42nd Highlanders Fifes and Drums perform at 12:30 p.m. both days. The River Valley Colonial Fife and Drum Corps will take over at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The Fort Howard Guard Fife and Drum Corps will perform at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday.
Meet historical figures including Benjamin Franklin at 1 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Betsy Ross at 2 p.m. Saturday, and Abigail Adams at 11:30 a.m. both days in the Visitors Center Theater.
At 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, there will be a Parade of Uniforms in the pavilion and playground area.
As part of Cantigny’s “America 250” celebration, join in a dedication of the Liberty Tree at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Tank Park. See an exact replica of the Liberty Bell will be on display both days in the fountain area.
Follow along with a reading of the Declaration of Independence at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the fountain lawn area.
The weekly Sounds of Summer concert series returns with the Wheaton Municipal Band, led by music director Bruce Moss, from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday on the parade field. Concert bands traditionally are central to American patriotic celebrations, because they are deeply rooted in military history. Bands played a critical role in boosting troop morale and rousing patriotic spirit.
After the concert, there will be a candlelight procession and “Feu de joie” gunfire salute on the parade field, followed by a special fireworks show.
On Sunday, there will be a church parade starting at 10:30 a.m. It will be followed by a bayonet demonstration at 11 a.m., Spy School at 11:30 a.m. and artillery salute at 1 p.m. The battle reenactments will be held at noon and 3:30 p.m. on the parade field. Learn about battlefield medicine at 12:30 p.m. and Illinois in the Revolution at 1:30 p.m. in the playground and pavilion area.
The closing colors will be at 5 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.