FREE EVENT| Wethersfield 250 Jubilee: Revolutionary War Encampment & Traditional Trades Fair

Saturday, May 23, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Join us for a free, family-friendly day that celebrates our Colonial heritage and the traditional trades that built America.

This year, our beloved Revolutionary War Encampment joins forces with the Traditional Trades Fair for a full day marking America’s 250th anniversary on the museum grounds. Watch the 5th Connecticut Regiment set up camp with musket demonstrations, a battle skirmish with invading British Marines, open hearth cooking, and a children’s march with wooden muskets. Listen to traditional Colonial music and speak with a camp surgeon about his gruesome profession. Try your hand at centuries-old games like graces, or eavesdrop on military maneuvers.

Alongside the encampment, skilled artisans demonstrate timber framing, weaving, carpentry, and historic restoration—the craftsmanship that built the nation and keeps our oldest buildings standing. Witness live preservation projects, try hands-on workshops, shop our vendor market for everything from tools to keepsakes, and discover centuries-old skills through family-friendly demonstrations, Colonial games, and activities. Whether you’re interested in history, restoration, or simply love beautiful craftsmanship, this immersive experience showcases the dedication and artistry behind preserving our architectural heritage.

Bring the whole family for hands-on workshops, Colonial games, food vendors, and a day spent surrounded by the sights, sounds, and skills of the founding era.

The free festivities will begin on the Museum grounds immediately following the Town of Wethersfield Memorial Day Parade.

Schedule*

All Day        Scavenger Hunt | Start at Wethersfield Historical Society

Quiet Space | Rotary Room, Wethersfield Historical Society

10:00 AM  Ancient Burying Ground Tour | Meet by the First Church parking lot

10:30 AM  Musket and Drill Demonstration

11:00 AM   Children’s wooden musket drill

12:00 PM   Midday nooning

12:45 PM    People of the Revolution

1:00 PM      Tours of Cove Warehouse [until 4:00 PM]

1:30 PM     Soldiers Drill

2:00 PM   Skirmish with Redcoats

2:30 PM   Declaration of Independence Reading | Steps of the Hurlbut-Dunham House

4:00 PM  Camp Closes

*Schedule and demonstrations subject to change.

Demonstrations throughout the day will include*:

• Colonial music
• Children’s colonial games
• Surgeon’s table
• Woodworking
• Masonry
• Textile weaving
• Open hearth cooking and food
• Flag displays and history programs
• Weaving and sewing
• Soldier’s tent and display of equipment
• Colonial clothing and textiles
• Life of a Privateer
• Butter churning
• Camp tours and information about the 5th Connecticut Regiment and its history