Step Back in Time: French in Newport Weekend to Bring History to Life

The Newport Historical Society’s popular “French in Newport” living history weekend is set to return to Washington Square on July 13 and 14. This engaging event will feature reenactments, exhibits, and a variety of family-friendly activities, offering visitors an immersive experience of the role French soldiers and sailors played in America’s fight for independence.

Highlights include fife and drum corps performances, tea tastings, silhouette art, and more. A special new exhibit titled “Fête Lafayette: A French Hero’s Tour of the American Republic,” produced by the American Revolution Institute of the Society of Cincinnati, will debut, showcasing the Marquis de Lafayette’s contributions to America.

This free event is organized by the Newport Historical Society in collaboration with the National Park Service’s Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail.

“More than 12,000 French soldiers and sailors became an important part of the Newport community as our nation fought for its independence,” said Rebecca Bertrand, executive director of the Newport Historical Society. “Our French in Newport weekend will transport visitors back to 1780 to catch a glimpse of a day in the revolutionary lives of these French troops in the City by the Sea. Join us to learn local history, celebrate French culture, and enjoy beautiful Newport in the summertime.”

Full Schedule of Events

Saturday, July 13

• 9:00 am: Rochambeau Commemoration Ceremony by the Alliance Française of Newport | King Park, 125 Wellington Ave
• 11:00 am: Meet the Marquis de Lafayette | Washington Square
• 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm: Middlesex County Fife & Drum Corps Fife Concerts
• 1:00 pm: Rochambeau Proclamation | Washington Square
• 2:00 pm: An interview with the Marquis de Lafayette | Colony House
• 2:30 pm: Wreath Laying Ceremony on the Graves of the Fallen French Officers by Le Souvenir Français | Trinity Churchyard, 141 Spring Street
• 3:00 pm: Ceremony to Commemorate the Franco-American Alliance in partnership with Alliance Française | Colony House

Ongoing Activities: Meet the French Military, Woodworking & Cider Demonstrations, Colonial Tea Tastings, Silhouette Portrait Making | Washington Square

Sunday, July 14

• 11:00 am: Rochambeau Rallies the Troops | Washington Square
• 1:00 pm: An Interview with Rochambeau | Colony House
• 2:00 pm: Outfitting an Officer: French Military Dress | Washington Square
• 3:00 pm: Rochambeau Bids Adieu | Washington Square

Ongoing Activities: Painting, Cider & Woodworking Demonstrations, Meet the French Military, Colonial Tea Tastings, Silhouette Portrait Making | Washington Square

For more information about French in Newport, visit NewportHistory.org/Events.

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