New Haven, CT

Local Events

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

Upcoming This Year

Jul

ReenactmentFeatured

Powder House Day / British Raid on New Haven Commemoration

New Haven Green and surrounding historic sites, New Haven, CT

Annual commemoration of the July 5, 1779 British raid on New Haven, featuring living history demonstrations, musket firing, and guided walks retracing the routes of British forces and local defenders including Professor Naphtali Daggett's legendary armed resistance. Events typically take place on or near the New Haven Green and adjacent historic sites.

FreeHeld on or near July 5; contact the New Haven Museum to confirm exact date each year.

Apr

Lecture

New Haven Museum Lecture Series: Revolution and Republic

New Haven Museum, 114 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT

The New Haven Museum hosts an annual lecture or panel discussion series exploring topics related to the American Revolution in New Haven and Connecticut, featuring historians and authors. Past topics have included Benedict Arnold's complex legacy, Roger Sherman's contributions to the founding, the experience of Black and Indigenous residents during the Revolution, and the economic impact of the war on Long Island Sound trade.

Free for members; small fee for non-membersLectures scheduled throughout the year; spring programming often coincides with Patriots' Day season. Contact the New Haven Museum to confirm dates.More info →

Jun

Guided Tour

New Haven Museum Revolutionary War Walking Tours

New Haven Museum, 114 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT

Seasonal guided walking tours offered by the New Haven Museum exploring the town's Revolutionary War heritage, including stops at the New Haven Green (where Benedict Arnold mustered the militia in 1775), Center Church, Yale's Old Campus (used as a wartime hospital), and Grove Street Cemetery where several Revolutionary-era figures are buried. Tours highlight the 1779 British invasion and the town's role in supplying the Continental Army.

Varies; small fee typicalTours typically offered June through October; check the New Haven Museum website for current schedule.More info →

Jul

Ceremony

Fourth of July Reading of the Declaration on the New Haven Green

New Haven Green, New Haven, CT

Annual public reading of the Declaration of Independence on the historic New Haven Green, honoring New Haven's connection to the founding document through Roger Sherman, one of only five men who signed both the Declaration and the Constitution. The ceremony often includes remarks on local Revolutionary history, patriotic music, and is held in conjunction with broader Independence Day celebrations.

FreeJuly 4th; confirm details with the New Haven Department of Parks or the New Haven Museum.

Oct

Guided Tour

Grove Street Cemetery Historical Tours — Revolutionary Era

Grove Street Cemetery, 227 Grove Street, New Haven, CT

Periodic guided tours of Grove Street Cemetery focusing on the graves and stories of New Haven's Revolutionary War participants, including soldiers, patriots, and notable Yale figures from the era. Docents share accounts of the 1779 British raid, Professor Naphtali Daggett's armed defense of the town, and the broader role of New Haven residents in the fight for independence.

Free or small donationCemetery tours are offered seasonally, often in conjunction with fall programming; contact Grove Street Cemetery or the New Haven Preservation Trust to confirm dates.