THE ANNIVERSARY REENACTMENT

Witness a clash of cultures as historical reenactors bring the Battle of Bushy Run to life! Each year, the BRBHS commemorates the Battle of Bushy Run on the first Saturday and Sunday in August with a large-scale, reenactment. Visitors will learn firsthand what caused Native American warriors and British soldiers to take up arms against each other during a two-day battle in August 1763 during Pontiac’s War. They will also discover what life was like on the frontier for European settlers and Native peoples alike in this historical reenactment.

In addition to the reenactments occurring on both Saturday and Sunday, events include morning historical demonstrations, eighteenth century military camps, a Native American village, a sutler trade area, live historical music, a children’s area, concession stand, and more!

261st ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF BUSHY RUN EVENT DETAILS:

After much consideration, the Bushy Run Battlefield Board of Directors has voted to cancel the 261^st Anniversary Reenactment scheduled for August 3 and 4, 2024. This decision follows damage to the battlefield from a June 26 tornado. The board has concluded that the site cannot be made reasonably safe and accessible by the scheduled date of the event. In the spirit of transparency, we would like to explain some of the background and reasoning for this decision.

On the evening of Wednesday, June 26, an F1 tornado touched down at Bushy Run Battlefield. The tornado did not cause major damage to any of the buildings at the site, but knocked down or damaged a significant number of trees across the 200+ acres of property. Many of the areas damaged by the tornado were to be utilized for the reenactment. Since the storm, the property has been closed to the public and to volunteers.

Cleanup has already begun under the supervision of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. In addition to cleaning up fallen and damaged trees, the entire property must be assessed for safety before it can be opened to the public. According to the preliminary timeline we’ve been given, the cleanup and assessment will not be complete by the reenactment weekend and the site must remain closed.

The board began discussing options for the reenactment the morning after the tornado. Since then, we have weighed all possible alternatives and plans of action. We have also explored offers and suggestions made by generous members of the community. In the end, the board has decided that the solution that makes the best sense for the safety of our volunteers, reenactors, and visitors is to cancel this year’s event. Anyone who has followed Bushy Run for the last couple years will understand how important the reenactment is to our organization. The decision to cancel does not come lightly or without significant consideration.

In the reenactment’s place, we are planning a living history event for the battlefield sometime in the fall. We will provide more details on this event, and the status of other events on our calendar, when the timeline for safely reopening becomes more clear.

We have been overwhelmed by the support of our community in the last 10 days. Like many of you, we are eager to be back on the battlefield and reopen the doors of our museum. However, as recent events tragically remind us, the safety of our visitors and volunteers must be the number one priority throughout this process.