The Daniel Boone Homestead in Birdsboro will mark America’s upcoming 250th anniversary with a daylong living history event on Saturday, June 27.
Hosted by the Daniel Boone Homestead Associates, the “Colonial 250th Anniversary Celebration” will run from noon to 8 p.m. and feature historical demonstrations, military encampments, reenactors, live music, hands-on activities and tours highlighting life during the colonial and Revolutionary War eras.
Visitors will have the opportunity to meet reenactors portraying General George Washington and colonial soldiers, explore a military encampment and learn about life both on and off the battlefield. Horse-drawn wagon rides through the historic area will also be offered throughout the day.
The event will include tours of the Boone House, open-hearth cooking demonstrations and exhibits showcasing the work of colonial-era artisans, including blacksmiths, gunsmiths and leatherworkers. Organizers said guests can also visit an American Indian display examining the role Indigenous peoples played during the fight for independence.
At the Bertolet Log House, living history interpreters will discuss colonial militia and Dragoon units, while visitors can participate in muster activities using wooden training weapons. The Wayside Lodge will feature a Revolutionary War medical hospital display, where guests can view period medical instruments and learn about 18th-century medical practices.
Children and adults will have the chance to participate in a variety of hands-on activities, including quill pen writing, colonial toys and traditional games.
One of the featured attractions will be a Revolutionary War-era cannon from Warwick Furnace. The 4,500-pound cannon, on loan from the Thomas P. Bentley Nature Preserve and French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, was discovered in 2022 buried beneath approximately 30 inches of earth at the historic furnace site, where it had remained for nearly 246 years.
Musical entertainment will be provided by the Brandywine Colonials Fife and Drum Corps during the afternoon. The event will conclude with a public reading of the Declaration of Independence and a performance by the Haycreek Valley Goldband.
Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors ages 65 and older and $5 for youth ages 6 to 17. Children ages 5 and younger, as well as Daniel Boone Homestead Associates members, will be admitted free. Organizers ask visitors not to bring pets, with the exception of service animals, and note that smoking is prohibited on the grounds.
The event is supported by America250PA-Berks County, The Highlands at Wyomissing, Longview Financial Consulting, East Penn Manufacturing Company, Dovetail Auctions and Dakota Wealth Management.
The Daniel Boone Homestead, birthplace of famed frontiersman Daniel Boone in 1734, is located at 400 Daniel Boone Road in Birdsboro. The site consists of a 10-room stone house and 579 acres of preserved countryside. The property is owned by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, while daily operations are managed by the Daniel Boone Homestead Associates.
