Albany, NY

Local Events

Reenactments, heritage festivals, and living history programs — experience the Revolution where it happened.

Upcoming This Year

Oct

Ceremony

Surrender Anniversary Commemoration at Saratoga

Saratoga National Historical Park, Stillwater and Schuylerville, NY

Annual ceremony marking the October 17, 1777, surrender of British General John Burgoyne, a decisive moment made possible by Albany's role as the supply and command base for the Northern Army. The program includes wreath-laying ceremonies, musket and cannon salutes by reenactors, speeches by park historians, and guided walks of the battlefield and surrender grounds.

Free with park entranceHeld on or near October 17; exact programming varies by year. Check NPS event listings.More info →

Dec

Guided Tour

Schuyler Mansion Colonial Holiday and Living History Programs

Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site, 32 Catherine Street, Albany, NY

Seasonal programs at Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site, the Georgian-style home of Major General Philip Schuyler, commander of the Northern Department. Annual events include holiday-themed open houses, guided tours interpreting the Schuyler family's role in the Revolution, and living history demonstrations. The site commemorates key episodes including Catherine Schuyler's legendary burning of wheat fields to deny them to Burgoyne's advancing army.

Free or nominal admissionColonial holiday program typically held on a December weekend; additional living history events held in summer months. Contact Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site to confirm specific dates.More info →

Date

TBD

Lecture

Albany Heritage Lecture Series – Revolution in the Capital Region

Albany Institute of History & Art, 125 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY

Lecture series hosted by the Albany Institute of History & Art and partner organizations featuring historians speaking on topics related to Albany's Revolutionary War heritage, including the Northern Department command, the Schuyler family, frontier defense of the Mohawk Valley, and the 1775 invasion of Canada staged from Albany. Talks draw on the institute's extensive 18th-century collections.

Free or included with museum admissionLectures typically scheduled during fall and winter months; contact the Albany Institute of History & Art to confirm specific dates and topics.

Earlier This Year

Sep

ReenactmentFeatured

Battle of Saratoga Reenactment and Living History Weekend

Saratoga National Historical Park, Stillwater, NY (approximately 30 miles north of Albany)

Large-scale annual reenactment of the Battles of Saratoga (September–October 1777) at Saratoga National Historical Park, just north of Albany. Hundreds of reenactors portray Continental and British forces, with artillery demonstrations, camp life displays, tactical demonstrations, and ranger-led battlefield tours. Albany served as the Northern Department headquarters that supplied and coordinated the forces that achieved this turning-point victory.

Free with park entrance (vehicle fee may apply)Typically held over a weekend in late September or early October near the battle anniversary (September 19 and October 7); check NPS website for exact dates each year.More info →

Jul

Exhibition

Independence Day Celebration at the New York State Museum

New York State Museum, 222 Madison Avenue, Albany, NY

The New York State Museum in Albany hosts annual Independence Day programming highlighting New York's pivotal role in the American Revolution. Activities typically include exhibit tours focusing on the state's Revolutionary War collections, educational talks on Albany's role as the northern military headquarters, family-oriented colonial crafts, and special displays of period artifacts and documents.

FreeHeld on or near July 4; programming may shift to the nearest weekday or weekend. Contact the museum to confirm dates.More info →