Travel

How to observe Patriots Day — virtually — at Minute Man National Historical Park

These virtual events allow you to follow the action of the battles in real time.

By Kristi Palma

April 18, 2020

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Though Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord cancelled its annual Patriots Day celebration due to the coronavirus pandemic, the park is offering a lineup of virtual events so folks can still celebrate the 245th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

The virtual events, taking place Saturday through Monday, include interviews, video montages, dramatic renditions, and “opportunities to experience the real events of April 19, 1775,” park officials said via a press release.

Here is the schedule of virtual events, which you’ll find on the park’s website and Facebook page.

Saturday, April 18:

12 p.m.: “Paul Revere’s Ride” video montage. Listen to the National Park Service staff read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Paul Revere’s Ride.”

7:30 p.m.: The Patriot Vigil. Watch a video of dramatic renditions of the accounts of Hannah Davis Leighton and Rev. Samuel West, who will read the names of the fallen on April 19, 1775. Viewers are encouraged to place a candle in a window in remembrance of the dead, take a photo, and post it to social media with the hashtag #PatriotVigil.

10 p.m. Revolution in Real Time. Follow the action of the battles in real time with posts and videos portraying the key events of April 18 and April 19 in 1775. This will continue through 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Sunday, April 19:

Park Ranger Jim Hollister will participate in the following video conferences with historians:

11 a.m.: Alex Cain, historian and author of “We Stood Our Ground: Lexington is the First Year of the American Revolution,” will discuss the impact the events of April 19, 1775 had on the town of Lexington.

3 p.m.: JL Bell, historian and author of “The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War,” will discuss the stockpiling of military supplies in Massachusetts and, in particular, Concord.

Monday, April 20:

11 a.m.: Discovering Lexington’s Lost Battlefield. Hollister will interview historian Joel Bohy and archaeologist Meg Watters to discuss the Parker’s Revenge Archaeology Project, and how they, along with others, discovered Lexington’s lost battlefield.