This year, 2025, marks the official start of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution. Back in April, the “shots heard round the world” at Lexington and Concord coupled with the recreation of the midnight ride of Paul Revere attracted hundreds of thousands of people to experience firsthand our revolutionary history. A bit closer to home, Saratoga250, the team planning all the events in Saratoga County related to the 250th Anniversary, has hit the ground running with multiple programs and events slated for this year. In keeping with their mission to “Educate, Engage, and Preserve,” Saratoga250 has several annual events that continue to grow, as well as some specialty programming that you won’t want to miss in 2025!

This year will go out with a BANG in Saratoga County due to the 250th Anniversary of Col. Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery. In case you can’t recall this event from your 4th grade history class, here is a quick summary…

In 1775, the British Army held Boston while the Patriots surrounded them on the heights outside the city. The recently appointed General George Washington, in command of the continental troops, was looking for fire power that would force the British to leave the city. Enter Henry Knox, a bookstore owner in his early 20s who was quite well-read, especially in the art of warfare, despite not having much experience in the field. Knox proposed a plan to Washington to mount an expedition to Fort Ticonderoga to secure much needed cannons that had been captured early that year by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold. Using waterways (both frozen and not) to move these incredibly heavy artillery pieces, he would transport them through New York and across Massachusetts to arrive at Boston and force the British to leave the city. Washington agreed to the plan and, despite all the possible scenarios that could foil this mission, it succeeded. Knox reached Boston by mid-January of 1776 and on March 17, the British evacuated the city.

In December, Saratoga250 will be commemorating this journey over the weekend of December 12-14, as Knox reenactors and community members join in a procession that follows part of the original Knox Trail. A ceremonial linstock (a long-handled tool used to fire a cannon) will be passed from community to community along the route – much like an Olympic torch. On Saturday December 13th at 1pm, the Washington County delegation will meet our Saratoga County delegation in the center of the Dix Bridge that crosses the Hudson River in the Town of Northumberland to pass the linstock into our county. From there, the procession, which will include reenactors and draft animals pulling sleds with cannons on them from Hudson Crossing Park, down the former Champlain Canal Tow Path to Fort Hardy Park in the Village of Schuylerville, where Knox Fest is planned from 1-4 p.m. This celebration will include living historians, artillery displays, exhibits, draft animal rides and more.

One of the best parts of planning this event has been our collaboration with community partners. Adjoining counties such as Warren, Washington and Albany have been working closely with us to plan a comprehensive weekend full of events for the public. The Washington County Draft Animal Association is bringing together several of their teams from across the area to participate in this procession over several days. The WSHWE BOCES students in both the Conservation Program and the Construction Program have been working hard all semester to mill the lumber and construct two large replica sleds to be pulled behind the draft animals in the Knox procession. All these organizations coming together to work collaboratively will ensure that the year will go out with a BANG – literally.

∅In advance of our December 13th event, we will be offering Knox-related revolutionary programming, notably at the week-long Saratoga County Fair held in Ballston Spa in July. On October 11 -12, in partnership with the Saratoga National Historical Park, we will once again be offering the popular Saratoga Siege Living History Weekend across multiple sites through the towns of Saratoga and Stillwater. Many other events, including ceremonies, parades and community days are also on our calendar. For more details on all our events and how to get involved, check out our website www.Saratoga250.com