THE BURNING OF KINGSTON
Voices Lost In The Fire
October 17, 18, 19, 20, 2024
Kingston, NY
OUTLINE OF EVENTS
For full schedule with more details >
Thursday, October 17
10am – 5pm: SENATE HOUSE TOURS
Tour the home where the first New York State Senate met in the fall of 1777, just prior to the Burning of Kingston. (NOTE: NYS museum has admission fee – all other events and activities during weekend are free to the public)
6:30pm – 8:30pm: LGBTQ+ LIFE IN COLONIAL TIMES
Old Dutch Church, Dr. Megan Rhodes Victor, Prof. Anthropology at CUNY Queens College presents.
Reception following at the Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Center (300 Wall Street) 1 block from the Old Dutch Church.
Friday, October 18
10am - 5pm: SENATE HOUSE TOURS
6:30pm - 8:30pm: LOYALTY AND ZEAL - ALGONKIANS OF THE REVOLUTION (1774-1783)
Old Dutch Church, (open at 6pm with music), Drew Shuptar- Rayvis, a citizen and cultural ambassador of the Pocomoke Indian Nation presents.
Saturday, October 19
10am - 5pm: COLONIAL CAMP RE-ENACTMENTS
Visit the British encampment at the DAR/Henry Sleight House (Crown and Green Streets). Visit the Colonial Militia encampment at the Persen House (John and Crown St)
10am - 4pm: OPEN HOUSES AT THE PERSEN HOUSE AND DAR/HENRY SLEIGHT HOUSE
Includes exhibits and demonstrations of life during colonial times
10am - 5pm: SENATE HOUSE TOURS
Tours and special activity
10am: WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE BURNING?
Senate House, NYS Site Manager Aaron Robinson presents
11am: MAMA NUCHWE, PEACEMAKER OF KINGSTON
Persen House, Evan (Abachbahamedtch) Pritchard, descendant of the Mi'kmaq people, talks about the Chief of the Esopus Munsee Nation (Lenape), 100 years before the Burning.
12pm - 3pm: AN AFTERNOON WITH MARTHA WASHINGTON
Senate House, hear tales about the Revolutionary War and life and times of her and her husband George
3pm: COLONIAL RE-ENACTMENT STREET BATTLES [refer to map for locations].
Uptown, colonial re-enactors demonstrate
(please note, event has loud sounds of gunfire and cannon)
4pm - 5pm: STORIES FROM GHANA BEFORE THE SLAVE TRADE
St James Church, Maxwell Kofi Donker and the Sankofa Dancers and Drummers
5pm – 5:45 pm: BLACK PATRIOTS: HEROES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
St James Church, a film screening
6pm - 7pm: PLIGHT OF SLAVES DURING THE BURNING OF KINGSTON - JAZZ VESPERS
St James Church, Paul Marienthal - Flute, Eli Winograd - Bass, Hector B - Percussion, Joe Vincent Tranchina - Piano, Ulster County Poet Laureate Kate Hymes - Poet, Evelyn Clarke – Storyteller
7pm: COLONIAL GRAND BALL & RECEPTION
Old Dutch Church, learn how to dance to the real oldies, 18th century music and re-enactors
Sunday, October 20
9 - 11:30am: CAPITAL TO CAPITAL 5K RUN/WALK
Starting at Front St & Washington Ave to Historic Hurley, a commemoration of Kingston refugees flight to Hurley (pre-registration required to participate)
*A frequently running Shuttle Bus will run from 11am - 3pm between Uptown Kingston (the parking lot at the front door of Ulster Savings Bank on Washington and Schwenk Drive) and Hurley (at the corner of Russell Road and Route 209 at the Rail Trail Parking Lot).
10:30am: 18th CENTURY STYLE CHURCH SERVICE
Old Dutch Church, 18th century service with Henry Cooke, followed by a Wreath Laying Ceremony
12 - 3pm: HISTORIC HURLEY WALKING TOURS
Hurley, tours of historic Main Street’s stone houses, at 12 and 2pm - pre-registration required - register online. (shuttle-bus from Uptown Kingston to Hurley available). Hurley Heritage Society Museum will be open from 10am - 4pm (52 Main Street, Hurley, NY).
*A frequently running Shuttle Bus will run from 11am - 3pm between Uptown Kingston (the parking lot at the front door of Ulster Savings Bank on Washington and Schwenk Drive) and Hurley (at the corner of Russell Road and Route 209 at the Rail Trail Parking Lot).
3 - 5pm: CHAMBER MUSIC OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR PERIOD - BARD CONSERVATORY ENSEMBLE AND CHORALE: MOZART, CHEVALIER AND SAMMUEL MUTTER
St James Church, music from 18th century and premier of new compositions
Jas. Wallace to Commodore Hotham, Oct. 17, 1777
"…We proceeded up the river destroying a number of vessels as we sailed along without stopping until we arrived at Ezopus Creek, where we found two batteries; one of two guns the other of three guns erected, and an armed galley at the mouth of the creek…It was determined to land and destroy them…"
'Dependence' Ship Log
"….at 1/2 past 10 a.m., the Rebles begun to Cannonade us from their Battery at the mouth of Esopas Creek fired 9 twenty four pounder round shot at the Battery and Reble Galley that were playing on us…."
- Gen. Vaughan to Sir Henry Clinton
"Sir, I had the Honor of proceeding by your Order with the Troops under my Command on the 15th inst. And destroyed all the Enemy's Vessels and Houses til our Arrival off Esopus on the 17th, and upon my Reconnoitering the Rebel Situation there, I perceived a Battery of 5 Pieces more…."