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By Melissa Saalfield, National Park Service, Minute Man National Park.
 The celebrations planned for Patriot's Day 2005 promise
color, pomp and patriotic spirit in keeping with long standing traditions.
Park Rangers of Minute Man National Historical Park, volunteers and
hundreds of re-enactors are fine-tuning preparations to tell the story of
America's first battle of the Revolutionary War.
Highlighting the celebrations will be Battle Road 2005 on Saturday,
April 16 from 10 am until 4 pm in the vicinity of the historic Hartwell
Tavern (Route 2A/The Battle Road - Lincoln), a day of living history that
provides visitors a glimpse into the past. Set on the eve of the opening
battle of America's fight for independence, visitors can observe routines
of colonial life throughout the day - cooking, mending, town meeting
discussions, as well as soldiers' routines - drilling, musket firing and
cleaning, 18th century medical techniques, and tactical maneuvering amidst
a military encampment.
At approximately 2 pm, a tactical dramatization of troop movements
and firing will begin at Bloody Angle and proceed east along Battle Road to
Hartwell Tavern through "Boston Neck" (site of the Samuel Hartwell House).
This event is based on the return of the British column to Boston;
historically, a bloody encounter for the British who suffered a number of
casualties under withering fire from colonial militia and minutemen.
Additionally, the Liberty Ride, a guided bus tour of selected
historic sites of Concord and Lexington, will operate on Friday, Saturday
and Sunday, April 15, 16 and 17. The bus service will leave on the hour
from the National Heritage Museum of Lexington beginning at 10 am with the
last round-trip departing at 4 pm. The tour costs $20 for adults, $10 for
students up to the age of 17 and free for children under five.
A selected listing of special Patriots' Day events follows:
 Saturday, April 9
Meriam's Corner Exercise Meriam's Corner -- corner of Lexington Road and Old Bedford Road, Concord 1:30 pm -- The Town of Concord joined by area minute companies and Minute Man National Historical Park commemorate the fight at Meriam's Corner that sparked the six hour running battle back to Boston. This encounter "set the hook" for the American Revolution.
Paul Revere Capture Ceremony -- Paul Revere Capture Site - Battle Road/Route 2A, Lincoln 3:00 pm -- Lincoln fife and drum corps, Lincoln Minute Men, and town officials observe the historic capture of Revere.
Saturday, April 16
Battle Road Hartwell Tavern Historic Area -- Battle Road/Route 2A, Lincoln 10:00 am - 4:00 pm -- Re-enactors, park rangers and volunteers recreate a day in early April 1775. Visitors are encouraged to imagine they have been granted safe passage between British-held Boston (set at the Captain William Smith House) and the Massachusetts countryside (Hartwell Tavern) where they witness drill and musket firings, cooking, clothing repair, weapons demonstrations and tactical maneuvers.
Monday, April 18
Battle Re-enactment -- Lexington Green, Lexington 5:30 am -- Re-enactors assemble on historic Lexington Green in portrayal of the skirmish between the minutemen of Lexington and British troops enroute to Concord.
Commemoration of the Concord Conflict and the Concord Parade -- North Bridge, Concord 8:30 am -- British and colonial re-enactors, park rangers and volunteers bring the fateful morning of April 19, 1775 to life in this stirring commemoration of "the shot heard 'round the world." Parade, which begins in Concord Center, follows commemoration and proceeds through Minute Man National Historical Park and across the North Bridge.
Fourth Annual Candlelight Remembrance Ceremony -- North Bridge, Concord 7:00 pm -- A backdrop of 600 luminaries sets the stage for this program of patriotic music and remembrance held at the North Bridge. Bring a flashlight. Sponsored by the Old manse - a property of The Trustees of Reservations. FREE
Tuesday, April 19
Dawn Salute -- Buttrick Hillside - North Bridge Visitor Center,
Concord 6:00 am -- Concord Minutemen and the Concord Independent Battery fire their muskets and cannon as Samuel Prescott rides over the historic North Bridge on horseback.
Remembrance Ceremony -- North Bridge, Concord 7:30 am -- The Concord Minute Men honor those who gave their lives in the cause of liberty.
Arrival of the Sudbury Militia -- North Bridge, Concord 10:30 am Members of the Sudbury Militia and their families complete the 12-mile march from Sudbury in recreation of their historic march of April 1775.
Saturday, April 23
Battle Road Heroes -- Hartwell Tavern, Battle Road/Route 2A 7:00 - 8:30 pm -- Visitors are invited to enter the world of 1775 as they walk down a candle-lit path into the past. Along the way, they encounter historic characters from that era who witnessed the events of April 19, 1775 -- Ephraim and Elizabeth Hartwell, Captain William Smith, British soldiers, musicians and drovers -- a special evening of theater and history. Admission is $5 per person with proceeds to benefit the Minute Man National Park Association.
 
 
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