revolutionary war Archives

A Weekend of History in Lexington & Concord

Patriots’ Day doesn’t always line up neatly with Marathon Monday — and in 2026, it definitely doesn’t. If you live in Lexington or Concord, the celebration stretches across an entire weekend, with events beginning Friday night and continuing through Tuesday morning. Strangely enough, the actual date of Patriots’ Day — April 19 — is the one day with nothing scheduled.

Saturday, April 18: The Big Reenactment

Most of the major events happen Saturday. If you’re brave enough to get up before dawn, you can catch the famous 5:15 AM reenactment on Lexington Green. I did it once, back in 2011, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget. I left the house at 4 AM and still found parking tough and the crowd already

deep. People even brought step ladders so they could see over everyone’s heads.

When the Redcoats marched down the main street, their uniforms looked astonishingly authentic. And the muskets — I had no idea they were that loud. The smoke from the black powder hung in the air like fog. I’m glad I went once, though I don’t feel the need to repeat the 4 AM wake‑up call.

After the battle, everyone heads to one of the three pancake breakfasts happening around town. I skipped it in 2011 and still regret that choice. If you’re already up before sunrise, you might as well reward yourself with pancakes.

Smoke from the musket fire drifts over the redcoats

I struggled with this state too. Virginia has so many things to offer to the exploring tourist and I’ve seen so few but I have been in the state for more than an change of planes. My brother and his family live in Virginia and I’ve been to visit them for more than a day or two. I’ve also been to Arlington National Cemetery.

Speaking of Arlington National Cemetery, this is where you have to go if you want to understand the true cost of war. Row upon row of nearly identical white headstones march across the the rolling acres of grass. More than 300,000 veterans from the Revolutionary War to Iraq have been laid to rest here.

This is where you can find the Tomb of the Unknowns and pay your respects to those lost and never recovered or identified. Those brave soldiers who have never been able to return home to their loved ones in life or in death.

John F. Kennedy is also buried here where the eternal flame is maintain for all time, marking the resting place of a president, a commander in chief.

Shenandoah Valley – Shenandoah is a Native American word meaning “Daughter of the Stars”. My brother lives in near here and another friend has gone rafting down the lazy river. I’d like to take the time to explore the Shenandoah National Park.

For me, there’s another must see…Chincoteague. The Eastern Shore runs from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (A marvel all it’s own) to the Maryland border. At the northern end of the shoreline is the island the Indians called Chincoteague; ‘Beautiful land Across the Waters” . A band of wild horses makes this island their home. Made famous in the book and later the movie , Misty of Chincoteague, the band is actually split into two herds, one located on Virginia’s side and the other on Maryland’s. There’s a yearly round up and auction in July to control the size of the herd.

Monticello, the dream home of Thomas Jefferson is located in Charlottesville , VA. Only 11 of the first floor rooms are open to the public but still worth a stop.

The vacation I am toying with for 2014 is historic Colonial Williamsburg. Colonial Williamsburg recreates the period from 1750-1775, the end of the Colonial era. Reenactors dressed in period clothing and speaking the dialect of the time roam the cobblestone streets.

There’s still so much more to Virginia…The Blue Ridge Parkway, George Washington’s beloved Mount Vernon, Busch Gardens, and many civil war sites such as Fredericksburg, Lexington, Manassas and Appomattox, and historic Richmond.

I have one last shout out to another blogger and new B &B owner. I want to visit Bell Grove Plantation. I’ve watched the B&B their get ready for their launch and now they are “live” so I really want to visit to see it in person. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Belle-Grove-Plantation-at-Port-Conway/271783509524776?id=271783509524776&sk=app_190322544333196

So although I’m adding Virginia to the yes side of the countdown, it really needs one or more repeat visits to see it all.

The tally now stands at 19/27