New York City, NY

Local Events

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

Upcoming This Year

Nov

CeremonyFeatured

Evacuation Day Commemoration at Fraunces Tavern

Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl Street, Manhattan

Annual ceremony marking November 25, 1783, when the last British troops departed New York City and General Washington triumphantly re-entered Manhattan. Held at historic Fraunces Tavern, where Washington later bade farewell to his officers, the event features speeches, wreath-laying, flag-raising, period music, and costumed reenactors. The Fraunces Tavern Museum often hosts related exhibitions and lectures throughout the week.

Free for outdoor ceremony; museum admission charged separatelyHeld on or near November 25; check Fraunces Tavern Museum for exact schedule each yearMore info →

Apr

Ceremony

Washington's Inauguration Anniversary Ceremony at Federal Hall

Federal Hall National Memorial, 26 Wall Street, Manhattan

Each April 30, the National Park Service and partner organizations commemorate the anniversary of George Washington's first inauguration as President of the United States, which took place on the balcony of Federal Hall on April 30, 1789. The ceremony features a reenactor portraying Washington taking the oath of office on the steps beneath the iconic Washington statue, military color guards, period music, and keynote addresses. Rangers offer special guided tours of the Federal Hall National Memorial throughout the day.

FreeHeld on April 30 or the nearest weekday; confirm with NPS Federal Hall siteMore info →

Jul

Guided Tour

Fourth of July at St. Paul's Chapel and Lower Manhattan

St. Paul's Chapel, 209 Broadway, Manhattan

Independence Day programming at St. Paul's Chapel, Manhattan's oldest surviving church building and the place where George Washington worshipped on Inauguration Day in 1789 and throughout New York's tenure as the first capital. The chapel and surrounding historic sites in Lower Manhattan host special Revolutionary-era themed tours, bell-ringing ceremonies, readings of the Declaration of Independence, and living history interpreters in period dress, connecting visitors to New York's pivotal role in the founding of the nation.

FreeJuly 4; programming may shift to adjacent dates — contact St. Paul's Chapel or the Downtown Alliance to confirm schedule

Aug

Reenactment

Battle of Brooklyn Commemoration

The Old Stone House, Washington Park & Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn

Annual commemoration of the Battle of Long Island (August 27, 1776), the largest engagement of the entire Revolutionary War. Organized by community and historical groups, the event typically includes a march along the route of the Maryland 400's heroic rearguard action, wreath-laying at the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument in Fort Greene Park, musket and artillery demonstrations, and living history presentations at the Old Stone House in Washington Park, which saw some of the fiercest fighting.

FreeUsually held on the last weekend of August nearest to August 27; check the Old Stone House website for exact datesMore info →

Aug

Ceremony

Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument Anniversary Observance

Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument, Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn

Annual memorial observance honoring the estimated 11,500 American patriots who perished aboard British prison ships anchored in Wallabout Bay during the Revolutionary War — more deaths than in all the war's battles combined. Held at the towering Doric column monument in Fort Greene Park, the ceremony includes wreath-laying, military honors, readings of historical accounts, and remarks by civic and veterans' organizations. The event is often coordinated with the Battle of Brooklyn commemoration.

FreeTypically held in late August or on the November anniversary of the monument's 1908 dedication; contact Fort Greene Park Conservancy to confirm