In less than a month, the summer of 1776 will come to life at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area with the annual Siege of Fort Watauga.
Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18, will see 150 living history re-enactors portray the Siege of Fort Watauga; Colonial, British, and Native re-enactors will converge at the re-created Fort Watauga at Sycamore Shoals to relive a key event on America’s first frontier.
The Siege of Fort Watauga is a live recreation of the Cherokee attack against Watauga Valley settlements in the summer of 1776. At Sycamore Shoals, Fort Watauga protected nearly 200 settlers during the two-week siege, in which Cherokee War Chief Old Abram led 300 warriors.
The event lasts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 17 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 18.
Visitors can travel back to the 18th century frontier and see the fort, militia camps, British encampment and Native camp, as well as daily aspects of colonial culture. Colonial merchants will be selling period wares in “Sutler’s Row.”
The settler and Native American cultures will clask as the attack on Fort Watauga is recreated both days at 1 p.m. In addition, there will be an auction of 18th century reproductions on Saturday.
For more information call the park at 543-5808 or visit the park’s website at www.sycamoreshoalstn.org.
The entire family is invited to see how the settlers played a crucial role in the region’s history and in the nation’s formation, with a backdrop of the rattle of muskets, the smell of campfire smoke and the daily activities of 18th century life.
This event is sponsored by The Washington County Regiment of North Carolina Militia and The Friends of Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area.