Hackensack, NJ

Local Events

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

Upcoming This Year

Nov

ReenactmentFeatured

Annual Retreat to New Bridge Reenactment

New Bridge Landing Historic Park, River Edge, NJ (adjacent to Hackensack)

Living history reenactment commemorating Washington's November 1776 retreat from Fort Lee through Hackensack to New Bridge Landing. Features Continental Army and British reenactors, musket and artillery demonstrations, period camp life, and guided walks along the historic retreat route. Held at the Steuben House and surrounding grounds at New Bridge Landing Historic Park.

FreeTypically held on a Saturday in mid-to-late November near the anniversary of the November 20, 1776 retreat. Contact the Bergen County Historical Society to confirm exact date.More info →

May

Lecture

The Hermitage Revolutionary War Lecture Series and Open House

The Hermitage, Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ

Periodic lectures and seasonal open house programs at The Hermitage, a National Historic Landmark in Ho-Ho-Kus near Hackensack. The house served as headquarters for both Washington and British commanders during the Revolution. Programs feature talks by historians on topics including the Bergen County militia, Loyalist networks, Washington's campaigns in northern New Jersey, and the daily life of civilians caught between the lines.

Suggested donationPrograms held periodically throughout the year; spring and fall open houses are most common. Contact Friends of The Hermitage to confirm current schedule, as the site has undergone periods of closure and reopening.More info →

Jul

Ceremony

Fourth of July Celebration on The Green

The Green, Hackensack, NJ

Annual Independence Day celebration held on the historic Hackensack Green, the colonial-era public common where Revolutionary-era militia mustered and where the First Dutch Reformed Church (used as a hospital and barracks during the war) still stands. The event typically includes patriotic speeches, historical readings, music, and community festivities honoring Hackensack's Revolutionary War heritage.

FreeJuly 4th; some activities may shift to the nearest weekend. Check with the City of Hackensack for current schedule.

Sep

Ceremony

Baylor Massacre Remembrance and Reenactment

Baylor Massacre Burial Site, River Vale, NJ

Annual commemoration of the September 28, 1778 surprise British attack on the 3rd Continental Light Dragoons under Colonel George Baylor. Held at the Baylor Massacre Burial Site in River Vale, just north of Hackensack, the event includes a memorial ceremony, musket demonstrations, living history encampments, and interpretive talks about this brutal nighttime raid and its impact on Bergen County during the Revolution.

FreeTypically held on the last Saturday of September near the anniversary of the September 28, 1778 massacre. Contact River Vale Township or the Bergen County Historical Society for exact date.

Oct

Festival

Bergen County Historical Society Heritage Day at the Steuben House

Steuben House, New Bridge Landing Historic Park, River Edge, NJ

Annual open house and heritage celebration at the historic Steuben House, Washington's 1776 headquarters at New Bridge Landing. Features costumed interpreters, tours of the restored 18th-century Dutch sandstone house, demonstrations of colonial crafts and cooking, children's activities, and exhibits on Bergen County's role in the American Revolution.

Free; donations welcomedTypically held on a Saturday in October; contact the Bergen County Historical Society to confirm exact date each year.More info →