Old Fort Niagara will host its last
re-enactment of the summer, “War of 1812 Encampment,” on September 2 and 3 at
the National Historic Landmark. This annual event portrays the British attack
on Fort Niagara during the American occupation in December 1813 and includes a unique
evening battle and activities for visitors.
“Today, it is hard to imagine living
along the Niagara River in constant conflict with Canada, but that’s how it was
during the War of 1812,” said Robert Emerson, Executive Director of the Old
Fort Niagara Association. “This re-enactment tells the story of the surrender
of the fort to the British, which was the start of the devastation that spread along
the eastern Niagara River shore from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie.”
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| MacKenzie Highlanders |
Old
Fort Niagara’s “War of 1812 Encampment” Schedule
9:00 a.m. Fort Opens
10:00 a.m.
Flag Raising
10:15 a.m. Manual Exercise – Troops Marching,
Maneuvering
11:00 a.m.
Uniforms of the War of 1812
Noon Artillery Demonstration
1:00 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday) Concert of
Military Music
1:00 p.m. (Saturday) Lecture Presentation
“Gray
Doom on the Niagara: Winfield Scott's Brigade” by Dr. Richard Barbuto*
2:30 p.m. Battle Re-Enactment
3:30 p.m. Kids Program: Recruiting (Saturday);
Games (Sunday)
4:15 p.m. Artillery Demonstration (Saturday);
Musket Demo (Sunday)
4:30 p.m. (Sunday) Last admissions into the fort;
Fort closes at 5 p.m.
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| Kid's Recruitment |
The Saturday evening activities,
below, are unique to this event and the fort remains open late. Day-time
visitors are readmitted for the evening program with their saved receipts
should they decided to leave and return. Admissions into the fort for
this program will end at 7 p.m. when the doors will be closed to incoming and
outgoing visitors until about 9 p.m. to ensure visitor safety.
“War
of 1812 Encampment” Saturday Evening Program
5:00 p.m. Musket Demonstration
5:30 p.m. Regency English Country Dancing
6:00 p.m. Guided Tour: Fort Niagara in the War of
1812
7:00 p.m. Last admissions into fort for evening
activities
7:15 p.m. Music Concert by the Mackenzie
Highlanders’ Pipes and Drums
8:00 p.m. Reenactment of the British Capture of
Fort Niagara, December 19, 1813
The
cost to attend the event is regular admission to the fort ($12 for adults, $8
for children ages 6-12, free for children 5 and under) and is free to members
of the Old Fort Niagara Association.
The Officers’ Club, just outside the
fort’s footprint, will be open during the encampment from 11 a.m to 4 p.m. for
tours and access to the World War II display.
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| Tactical Battle |
Old
Fort Niagara’s Lighthouse remains open from noon to 3 p.m. daily through
October 9 and is free. Visitors must be at least 4 feet tall and sign a waiver.
*Dr.
Barbuto is the author of the books Long
Range Guns, Close Quarters Combat: The U.S. Artillery Regiment in the War of
1812 (2010), and U.S. Army Staff Ride
Handbook for the War of 1812 Niagara Campaigns, 1812-1814 (2016), which are
both available for purchase in the fort’s museum shop.
Old Fort Niagara (www.oldfortniagara.org) is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in July and August
and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. starting in September. Gates close 30 minutes
after the last ticket sale. Old Fort Niagara is a Registered National Historic
Landmark and New York State Historic Site operated by the Old Fort Niagara
Association (a not-for-profit organization) in cooperation with the New York
State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Follow us on
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Photos Courtesy Wayne Peters