This Year’s Saturday Night Massacre

This Saturday, 4 March, the Bostonian Society will host a full day of events in honor of the 247th anniversary of the Boston Massacre. Here are the scheduled events, the first three inside the Old State House and included with admission to the museum.

10:30 A.M. and 12:00 noon
Blood on the Snow
Discover the truth behind acting governor Thomas Hutchinson’s challenging decision in the aftermath of the Massacre. Actors will present a scene from this summer’s production of Blood on the Snow, an original drama by Boston playwright Patrick Gabridge. [For more about this show, which will return for another run this summer, see my article in Humanities magazine.]

11:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M.
Trial of the Century
Space is limited; tickets available at 9:00 A.M. at the front desk of the museum.
Join patriot lawyers John Adams and Robert Treat Paine in the trial of the soldiers accused of murdering five Bostonians at the Massacre. Young visitors participate as the witnesses and jurors who decide the verdict in this celebrated case.

1:00 P.M. and 3:00 P.M.
Talk of the Town
Immerse yourself in Boston’s colonial past by meeting citizens who lived through the tumultuous period of British occupation. Visitors gain insight and perspective on real events by asking questions and hearing accounts from historic interpreters.

7:00 P.M.
Reenactment of the Boston Massacre
[ADDENDUM: Because of the forecast of frigid temperatures and bone-chilling winds, the 2017 Massacre reenactment has been canceled. All the indoor daytime activities listed above will go on as scheduled.]
Witness this infamous event, authentically recreated in front of the Old State House by living historians. Before the action unfolds, hear patriots, loyalists, and moderates talk about the events and attitudes that led to that fateful night.

The last event will take place in front of the Old State House and is free to the public. I’ll be there, once again providing the narration.

In addition, the dedicated reenactors who will portray the confrontation on King Street are also preparing other vignettes to be acted out on the streets of Boston during the day. So keep your eyes open for drama!

(The photo above was taken in 2013 by Matt Conti for NorthEndWaterfront.com. Here are his images from last year. Details may look different this year as the reenactors are constantly striving to improve the accuracy of their kit.)