Redcoats and Rebels in Sturbridge, 6-7 August

This weekend, 6-7 August, Old Sturbridge Village is hosting its annual “Redcoats & Rebels” Revolutionary War reenactment. The museum village, which usually depicts the 1830s, promises this will be “The largest Redcoats & Rebels in OSV history!”

The announcement reads:

See the largest military re-enactment in New England—nearly 1,000 soldiers portraying British, Irish, Welsh, German, Scottish, French and Colonial troops. The Village is transformed into a military camp from the time of the War for Independence, as it was known in early New England. . . .

Daytime events include a mock battle each afternoon (at 2:00 p.m.), cannon-firing demonstrations, fife and drum music, and marching and drilling demonstrations. See how laundry was done, and meet the surgeons who tended to the wounded and administered smallpox inoculations.

Learn more about the military life during a reconnoiter, a prisoner exchange, a court martial trial, and a Sunday Service for the troops. Visitors will also learn about the fashions and customs of the time during programs that explore 18th-century fashion (both military and civilian), music, and social activities.

The village will stay open from 5:00 until 8:00 P.M. on Saturday for “Twilight Encampment,” an evening program when visitors can visit troops in their camps. That program is included in the regular admission cost that day.