History comes alive with the Battle of Fall River Re-enactment Weekend: How to take part

FALL RIVER — A trip to Fall River’s waterfront this weekend will be a voyage back in time as dozens of re-enactors make camp in Heritage State Park and welcome visitors to see what life was like in Colonial times — but with the modern benefit of taco trucks.

The Battle of Fall River Re-enactment Weekend is taking place May 31 and June 1, two days of living history open to the public for free. Visitors can wander the grounds, meet historians, see craftspeople working with metal and lace, maybe take in a musket battle or two.

Dave Jennings of the Lafayette-Durfee Historical Foundation organized the weekend, with a lot of local support.

“It’s going to be a real fun family event, and an educational event as well,” Jennings said.

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Battle of Fall River Re-enactment Weekend will be bigger, better

Heritage State Park has hosted Colonial re-enactments before, but Jennings said this year’s promises to be bigger and better — in part because of greater sponsorship.

The city applied for and received grant money from the state as part of the MA250 project, a two-year celebration of the state’s part in the American Revolution.

“And so we have the city sponsorship helping with the cost of it,” Jennings said. “It’s going to be a bigger event than other previous events. … We’re going to have a lot more re-enactors and a lot more craftspeople down there.”

Jennings and the city have also connected with tourism nonprofit Viva Fall River, which has helped organize dozens of fun events downtown and on the city’s waterfront in the past several years. The groups have scheduled a two-day extravaganza where visitors can drop by anytime, check out fascinating demonstrations, grab some food, and have fun while learning about American history.

“And then of course there’s the battle re-enactment, which is the major part of it,” Jennings said. “But there’s a lot of peripheral things that are going to be going on all day long.”

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What’s going to be at the Battle of Fall River Re-enactment Weekend?

Jennings said re-enactors will be arriving at Heritage State Park on the morning of May 31 and camping out on the lawn through the night into June 1.

“You’re going to see a sea of white canvas out there,” Jennings said.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the encampment will be open to the public with re-enactors living as they would have during the 18th century.

On a continual basis, visitors can check out demonstrations of authentic sailmaking, Colonial cooking, and printmaking. Artisans will be making clothing by hand, blacksmiths and tinsmiths will be working with metal. Chocolatiers from The Pewter Pot in Northbridge will be making sweets the 18th-century way.

“One lady is going to be boiling wool. We’re going to have another gentleman who’s going to be processing coffee,” Jennings said. “It’s just going to be an educational and entertaining event.”

For those with a taste for military history, the lawn will become a battleground featuring Colonial and British re-enactors from militias and regiments as far as Lebanon, Connecticut:

Saturday:

• 10 a.m. to noon: musket drill practice

• Noon to 1 p.m.: Colonial Navy of Massachusetts Fife and Drum Band performance

• 1 to 2 p.m.: Battle of Fall River re-enactment

• 2 to 3 p.m.: Artillery demonstration

Sunday:

• 10 a.m. to noon: musket drill practice

• 1 to 2 p.m.: Battle of Fall River re-enactment

• 2 to 3 p.m.: Artillery demonstration

The Heritage State Park Visitors Center will also be continuously playing pre-recorded lectures about the Battle of Fall River. On Sunday, from noon to 1 p.m., Pocasset historian Eleanor Page will give a talk about American Revolutionary War hero and Pocasset tribe member Daniel Page. The center will also host a Colonial fashion show from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

For visitors still living in the 21st century, there will be plenty to eat – along Davol Street, you’ll find food trucks from Blount Seafood, Turner Brothers, No Joke Smoke BBQ, Pop’s Mobile Brick Oven Pizza, Kona Ice and Tacofied.

How to get to the re-enactment

Parking at the Battleship Cove lot on Water Street will be available, but may be limited.

Visitors can also park at the Pearl Street Garage or at the First Bristol Corp. parking lot at 327 Central St., with free transportation to the waterfront.

Free shuttle service will make a continuous loop from the Pearl Street Garage to the First Bristol parking lot to the Fall River Depot MBTA commuter rail station to Heritage State Park.

While everyone in Greater Fall River is welcome to drop in and learn more about the history of their hometown, Jennings said, “We’re hoping to attract people from the Boston area and other parts of Massachusetts to take advantage of the train that we have now.”

The events are being supported by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation, the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Fall River Cultural Council, and St. Anne’s Credit Union.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Battle of Fall River Re-enactment Weekend: Colonial history event