Patriots' Day 2016: Saturday Events in Concord and Beyond

CONCORD, MA—Patriots' Day Weekend is upon us!

Photo Credit: David Maroney (Lexington Green Battle reenactment taken April 20, 2015.)

Concord residents, as well as the rest of the Commonwealth; will attend battle re-enactments, parades and other events commemorating the opening battle of the American Revolutionary War. The weekend culminates with the Patriots' Day Parade, but Saturday and Sunday will be jam-packed with events around the region.

Here are some events going on Saturday in and around Concord, courtesy of the National Parks Service

Tough Ruck

Step off at The Old Manse field, adjacent to North Bridge
7:00 a.m.
Minute Man National Historical Park is honored to once again host the "Tough Ruck," military personnel marching in memory of our fallen soldiers. Come out and support our soldiers in this 26 mile hike along the historic Battle Road Trail. For more information go tohttp://www.militaryfriends.org/programs/toughruck.
Captain David Brown's Company of Minute Men will fire a musket salute to mark the start of the march and present a program about the minute men of 1775.

Armed as According to Law: Captain David Brown's Company of Minute Men
North Bridge, Concord, 7:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
[drill and musket firing demonstrations at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.]
Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Road, Concord, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Visit North Bridge and Concord Museum and see Captain David Brown's Company, a nearly full strength recreated minute company, demonstrate drill maneuvers and musket firings. Learn about militia duty in colonial Massachusetts and what it meant to be "armed as according to law."

Life on the Battle Road
Hartwell Tavern and Captain William Smith House, Battle Road Trail, Lincoln
9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Hartwell Tavern and the Captain William Smith House will be open. Park staff and living history volunteers from the Lincoln Minute Men, the Guild of Historic Interpreters, and the Ladies of Refined Taste will be demonstrating various aspects of life in Massachusetts at the beginning of the American Revolution.

Explore Bloody Angle with Edmund Foster
10:30 a.m.
Meet at Hartwell Tavern. Edmund Foster, a volunteer from Reading, Massachusetts (portrayed by Park Volunteer, Ed Hurley), will lead a tour to this key battle site where he fought in 1775.

Visit Whittemore House (Behind Minute Man Visitor Center, Rte. 2A Lexington)
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Visit Whittemore House, staffed by costumed park volunteers, and discover what life was like in 1775. Try on colonial children's clothing, gather ingredients for a meal, and listen to stories of the Whittemore family and their experience of April 19, 1775.

1st Michigan Fife and Drum Corps
Benches outside Minute Man Visitor Center
12:30 p.m.
Enjoy military music of the American Revolution expertly performed by the 1st Michigan Fife and Drum Corps.

BATTLE DEMONSTRATION
Battle Road: "Parker's Revenge"
Battle Road Trail behind Minute Man Visitor Center, Rt. 2A, Lexington
2:00 p.m.
Hundreds of British and Colonial Reenactors will engage in a tactical weapons demonstration showing the running battle that took place along this deadly stretch of road on the border of Lincoln and Lexington. This event will involve musket firing and fast-paced battle action. Ample parking is available at Minuteman Regional High School.

Junior Ranger Day at Minute Man National Historical Park
Earn your Junior Ranger Badge
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Minute Man Visitor Center, Rte. 2A, Lexington. Pick up your very own Junior Ranger Day Booklet. You will have fun exploring Minute Man National Historical Park while completing the pages in the booklet. When you are finished, show your work to a Ranger to earn your new Centennial badge. It's a fun way to learn!
Swearing in will take place at Minute Man Visitor Center at 11:30 a.m. 3:15 and 4:15 p.m.

Recommended for ages 8-11.

The Midnight Ride of Me and Paul Revere
Minute Man Visitor Center, Rte. 2A, Lexington
9:00 a.m.
Shown throughout the day on Saturday, April 16, 2016 in the Blue theater at Minute Man Visitor Center. The show will be part of Patriot’s Weekend and Junior Ranger Day activities, as well as a feature for National Park Week, April 16th to the 24th at the park.

-All ages.