6th Annual March to Yorktown Day in Westfield

The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route New Jersey (W3R-NJ) announces 6th Annual March to Yorktown Day Commemoration & Encampment Festival in Westfield, NJ on Sunday, August 17th from 12:00 noon – 4:00pm.

The event will kick off at 12:00 noon at outside of Westfield’s Town Hall with an opening ceremony and the playing of patriotic music followed by remarks about the importance of Westfield commemorating when the French and Continental troops marched from Newport, Rhode Island to Yorktown, VA (an almost 700 mile, nine state, land and water journey) to conduct the final major engagement of the Revolutionary War, securing independence from Great Britain. The march of the troops took place in the summer of 1781 taking them through Westfield on August 29, 1781. The route is designated as the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, a unit of the National Trail System, administered by the National Park Service.

At 12:30, the community is invited to watch or join-in the symbolic march re-enactment along East Broad Street to Mountain Ave. Wreaths of remembrance will be placed at the Presbyterian burial grounds where over 70 Revolutionary War Veterans, their families and other patriots are buried. The march will continue into an Mindowaskin Park accompanied by the Generals Rochambeau, Washington and Lafayette, the New Jersey Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the New Jersey Fifes and Drums, the Miller-Cory Museum colonial living history group, women camp followers and the New Jersey Militia Heard’s Brigade.

From 1:00 to 4:00, a history themed festival will be set up in Mindowaskin Park with children’s games, musket firing and military drills. A talk on African American experiences in the Revolutionary War will be given by Dr. Sean Dineen, Adjunct History Professor, Kean University and disabilities advocate. The event’s signature group will be The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music. They will be on hand to share news about their mission and have an exhibit with engaging items. History games and activities along with information will be provided by local history organizations such as the Forgotten Victory Trail Association, Westfield Historical Society, Miller-Cory House Museum, Princeton Battlefield Society, Westfield Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, West Fields Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of the Revolution in NJ, Washington Association of New Jersey, North Jersey American Revolution Roundtable, Fortnightly Club, Swan Historical Foundation, Trent House Museum, Merchants & Drovers Museum, Frazee

House Museum, Center for Creativity at the Rialto, Liberty Hall Museum and others. An encampment with tents, cooking demonstrations, fife and drum music, musket firing and marching drills will occur during the festival. Food will be available for purchase by A Taco Affair’s Food Truck of Westfield.

This event is made possible by support from the Mayor Shelley Brindle, the Town Council, the Town of Westfield, and in part by a 2025 HEART (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant from the Union County Board of County Commissioners, The Westfield Inn, Chez Catherine, the West Fields Chapter SAR, the Westfield Chapter DAR, the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association, New Jersey (W3R-NJ).

For more information email info@W3R-NJ.org Follow on Facebook @W3RNJ and www.w3r-nj.org