PATRIOTS WEEK EVENTS 2024

Patriots Week 2024

Trenton’s Patriots 2024 returns with historic battle reenactments, a Colonial Ball, lectures, music, tours and family activities. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s being planned!

Most activities are FREE!

Mark your calendar and prepare for great experiences of historic proportion!

Wednesday, December 25

Annual Christmas Day Crossing Reenactment
12 – 3 pm FREE
Washington Crossing Historic Park
1112 River Rd, Washington Crossing, PA
For details, click link in event title.

Thursday, December 26

Trenton Battlefield Walking Tour with Ralph Siegel
10 am – Noon FREE
Meet at **downtown location TBD** at 9 am for a question-and-answer session. Tour begins at 10 a.m. The 10-block interpretive walk brings to life the two battles of Trenton. Broad and Warren Streets are once again “Queen” and “King” Streets as Washington’s shivering troops approach from two directions to strike and defeat the German regiments. The tour includes stops at the historic Trenton Battle Monument and the Assunpink Creek in Mill Hill Park.

NJ State House Tours
10 am, 11 am, 1 pm & 2 pm FREE
145 W. State St.
Visit the home of the New Jersey State Legislature. Join a guided tour of the General Assembly and Senate chambers and discover the storied history of New Jersey’s State House. Advanced reservations required. Call 609-847-3150. For details, click link in event title.

Musket-firing Demonstrations
12 pm & 2 pm [included with Old Barracks admission fee]
Old Barracks Museum
101 Barrack St.
Join soldiers of the NJ Line of the Continental Army as they drill and fire their muskets on the Parade Ground of the Old Barracks Museum.

The Stars of 1776
12 pm, 1 pm*, 2 pm, and 3 pm
[buy Planetarium tickets at the State Museum]
New Jersey State Museum Planetarium
205 W. State St.
Explore the night sky as it would have been seen in 1776 by George Washington and his troops, then stay for special Planetarium shows. 12:00 PM – Worlds Beyond Earth; 1:00 PM (*does not include 1776 program) – One World, One Sky; 2:00 PM – Dinosaurs of Antarctica; 3:00 PM – Big Astronomy. For details on programs, parking, and ticket prices, click link in event title.

Hidden History Tour
1 pm FREE
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
140 N. Warren St.
Stop in for a tour and learn how this site was pivotal to the Battle of Trenton. Find out what happened to the cannons under the poplars, discover catacombs under the church and visit the grave of David Brearley, founder of the Electoral College and signer of the Constitution.

Make A Quill Pen & Write like John Hancock
2:30 pm FREE
St Michael’s Episcopal Church
140 N. Warren St.
Create your own piece of history! Fashion a quill pen and see if you can sign your name as well as John Hancock! Everyone gets a feather for their cap.

Jacob Francis: A Free Black Man’s Experiences in the American Revolution
2:30 pm FREE
The 1719 William Trent House
15 Market St. [free parking available in adjacent parking lot]
Larry Kidder, author of “The Revolutionary World of a Free Black Man: Jacob Francis, 1754-1836,” shares details about Francis’ experiences as a soldier in the Continental Army and Hunterdon militia.

Surviving the Winters: Housing Washington’s Army During the American Revolution
4 pm FREE
Trenton Masonic Temple
100 Barrack St.
Author Steven Elliott presents an illustrated talk based on his recent book which was recently awarded the 2024 Harry M. Ward American Revolution Round Table of Richmond Book Award. Dr. Elliott is a staff historian with the U.S. Army Military History Institute, and a lecturer at Rutgers-Newark.
Presented by the Trenton Historical Society

Revolutionary Pub Crawl
4:30 pm (must be 21 or older to participate)
start at: The Lobby Club
17 E. Front St.
This year’s Pub Crawl starts at The Lobby Club and moves on to other stops including Station Tapas & Bar, McManimon’s Monument Pub, and 1911 Smoke House Barbeque. Revolutionary/Colonial garb is optional but welcomed! No fee, just pay for your own food and drink as you go. Don’t forget to tip your bartender/servers!
Hosted by Taste Trenton

Songs and Stories of the Revolution
6 – 7 pm FREE
Trenton Free Public Library
120 Academy Street
Dressed in Colonial garb, performer Matthew Dodd uses stories and songs to take his audience back in time to the American Revolution.

Friday, December 27

Petty’s Run Tour
11 am FREE
Petty’s Run site, NJ State House campus, 145 W. State St.
Archeologist Richard Hunter leads a tour of the Petty’s Run Archaeological Site. Dr. Hunter’s team headed up the dig and research that lead to preserving the site as an “open classroom” that reveals hints to more than 300 years of human activity on this spot – including Benjamin Yard’s 1745 steel furnace.

Colonial Taverns of NJ: Libations, Liberty & Revolution with Michael C. Gabriele
12 – 1 pm FREE
Virtual Author Talk (New Jersey State Library)
Colonial taverns in N.J. formed a social network for Patriots and Loyalists alike during the Revolution. Join author Michael C. Gabriele as he explores these pubs and breweries, sharing stories about some of the luminaries whose breweries, pubs and taverns were often the main stage for the historic drama unfolding. Click link in title to pre-register.

Musket-firing Demonstrations
12 pm & 2 pm [included with Old Barracks admission fee]
Old Barracks Museum
101 Barrack St.
Join soldiers of the NJ Line of the Continental Army as they drill and fire their muskets on the Parade Ground of the Old Barracks Museum.

Revolutionary Tea
2 – 3 pm FREE
Trenton Free Public Library
120 Academy Street
Certified tea specialists Deborah and Michael Raab offer a special presentation on some of the history and rituals connected to the subject of ‘revolutionary tea parties,’ and include a tea tasting!

Colonial Ball
7 pm – 10 pm [tickets required]
Trenton Masonic Temple
100 Barrack St.
Mingle with the soldiers of the Battle of Trenton and learn their favorite dance steps while enjoying live music from the Colonial era! Period dress is neither discouraged nor required.

Saturday, December 28

Battle of Trenton Reenactment/First Battle
11 am FREE
Warren and Broad Streets
Immerse yourself in history while reenactors fight through the first battle of Trenton. The battle takes place along Warren and Broad Streets between the Trenton Battle Monument (350 N. Warren St) and Mill Hill Park (corner of Front and Broad Streets).

Puppet Show: The Trouble With Trenton
12 pm, and 2 pm FREE
Warren Street Plaza (Corner of Warren & Hanover Streets)
An interactive, historical look at amazing American history presented by marionettes and rod puppets – with lots of help from the audience! The show includes live music, important props, and plenty of “revolting” action. Rain location: First Presbyterian Church, 120 E. State St. Presented by Tucker Tales.

The Spoils of Victory (following the 1st Battle reenactment)
1 pm [included with Old Barracks admission fee]
Old Barracks Museum
101 Barrack St.
Following the 1st Battle, follow the victorious Continental soldiers back to the Old Barracks Museum to see them strip equipment, gear, and souvenirs from captured Hessian soldiers, before crossing the Delaware back to Pennsylvania.

Make A Quill Pen & Write like John Hancock
1 pm FREE
St Michael’s Episcopal Church
140 N. Warren St.
Create your own piece of history! Fashion a quill pen and see if you can sign your name as well as John Hancock! Everyone gets a feather for their cap.

Trenton 1775: A Colonial Town Caught in the Revolution (walking tour)
1 pm – 2:30 pm FREE
Trenton Friends Meetinghouse
142 E. Hanover St.
In 1775 Trenton was a young community of only 500 souls. The Continental and British armies each brought 1500 fighting men to town, overwhelming Trenton’s small spaces, limited accommodations, and modest supplies of food, water, and wood. Historian Dr. Sharon Holt and attorney Marc A. McKithen lead visitors on an 8 block walking tour of colonial Trenton, introduce the people living here in 1775, their amusements, loyalties, fears, and tribulations. Tour concludes in the historic Trenton Friends Meetinghouse for refreshments and a chance to ask questions.

1 pm FREE
First Presbyterian Church
120 E. State St.
Archeologist Richard Hunter of Hunter Research leads a tour of Trenton’s 1st Presbyterian Church cemetery visiting the graves of American Revolutionary War veterans, including that of Col. Johann Rall, killed in the First Battle of Trenton in December 1776

Hogmanay! A Scottish Celebration of the New Year!
2 pm FREE
The 1719 William Trent House
15 Market St [free parking available in adjacent parking lot]
Welcome to the Scottish celebration of the New Year — celebrated in honor of William Trent, founder of Trenton, who immigrated from Scotland. Bagpipers start off the program while visitors learn an authentic Colonial recipe for shortbread while enjoying hot cider and other treats. End your visit by lighting your wishes for 2025!

Battle of Trenton Reenactment/ Second Battle
3 pm FREE
The second battle takes place between State Street and Mill Hill Park beginning with a short commemorative ceremony at the 1st Presbyterian Church (120 E State Street). The majority of the reenactment takes place in Mill Hill Park, corner of Front and Broad Streets.

Assunpink Firewalk & Reading of Thomas Paine’s The American Crisis
4-6:30 pm FREE
Mill Hill Park, corner of Front and Broad Streets
Starting at 4pm, enjoy live traditional music, warm drinks and cookies on the park’s Iron Bridge, followed by the dramatic lighting of 13 torches along the banks of the historic Assunpink Creek and a dramatic reading of Thomas Paine’s The American Crisis
Presented by the City of Trenton

Sunday, December 29

Music Lafayette Might Have Heard in Trenton, Dec. 1784
2:30 pm FREE
The 1719 William Trent House
15 Market St. [free parking available in adjacent parking lot]
John Burkhalter and Donovan Klotzbeacher, the Practioners of Musik, share music and commentary of works performed during the time Lafayette visited Trenton in 1784 when the town briefly served as the new Nation’s capital.

Monday, December 30

NJ State Library Tours
11 am & 3:30 pm FREE
185 West State Street
Take a tour of the NJ State Library and its collections, dating back to its founding in 1796. Highlights include rare books, maps, and our Genealogy and Jerseyana collections, brimming with fascinating resources related to the American Revolution and beyond!

Alexander Hamilton & the 24 Cannons at the Battle of Trent Town
12 – 1:30 pm FREE
Trenton Free Public Library
120 Academy Street
A crucial ingredient to General Washington’s success in the December 26, 1776 battle is the American cannon and how artillery commander Hamilton deployed the cannon which, unlike muskets, could fire in rain, sleet or snow. The discussion features an 8′ x 10′ map offering a birds-eye view of the action. Presented by David & Nick Bosted

Quakers: Choose a Side!
2:00 PM FREE
Trenton Meeting of Friends
142 East Hanover St.
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) believed in the renunciation of war. This tenet was sorely tested with the onset of the American Revolution. How did the Trenton Quakers feel about Philemon Dickinson, a slave-owning Quaker who fought in the Battle of Trenton as a general in the Colonial army? How did they react when the British Dragoons took over their meetinghouse as a barracks? Did they continue to meet during the War? Learn more at the Trenton Meetinghouse, probably the oldest surviving House of Worship in Trenton.

Tuesday, December 31

Civil War Flag Gallery unveiling
10 – 11 am FREE
NJ State Museum
205 W. State St.
Join flag historian Dr. David Martin and the Museum’s director of cultural history Nicholas Ciotola for the history of five new Civil War troop flags being unveiled in the NJ State Museum exhibition, The Civil War Flag Collection of New Jersey.

NJ State Library Tours
11:30 am & 3:30 pm FREE
185 West State Street
Take a tour of the NJ State Library and its collections, dating back to its founding in 1796. Highlights include rare books, maps, and our Genealogy and Jerseyana collections, brimming with fascinating resources related to the American Revolution and beyond!

The Stars of 1776
2:30 pm
[buy Planetarium tickets at the State Museum]
New Jersey State Museum Planetarium
205 W. State St.
Explore the night sky as it would have been seen in 1776 by George Washington and his troops, then stay for a special Planetarium show. 2:30 PM – Big Astronomy. For details on programs, parking, and ticket prices, click link in event title.

Quakers: Choose a Side!
2:30 PM FREE
Trenton Meeting of Friends
142 East Hanover St.
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) believed in the renunciation of war. This tenet was sorely tested with the onset of the American Revolution. How did the Trenton Quakers feel about Philemon Dickinson, a slave-owning Quaker who fought in the Battle of Trenton as a general in the Colonial army? How did they react when the British Dragoons took over their meetinghouse as a barracks? Did they continue to meet during the War? Learn more at the Trenton Meetinghouse, probably the oldest surviving House of Worship in Trenton.

Annual Inter-Faith Peace Vigil
4 pm FREE
Trenton Friends Meetinghouse
142 E. Hanover St.
Join the Trenton Friends Meeting for its annual vigil for peace in the new year. Different faith leaders will speak briefly about their beliefs, then – similar to a Quaker meeting – those attending are invited to contemplate and speak if they feel called to do so. Light refreshments will be served.

Capital Philharmonic Orchestra of New Jersey New Year’s Eve Concert
8 pm TICKETS REQUIRED
Patriots Theater Trenton War Memorial
1 Memorial Drive
For details, click link in event title.