Special Events and Programs

 

Concert goers at Saratoga National Historical Park.

NPS Photo

October

Siege of Saratoga Walking Tour

Tuesday, October 14
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Saratoga Monument

Discover the Siege of Saratoga. Following their defeat in the Battle of Bemus Heights, Burgoyne’s army struggled to retreat. They made it this far before being surrounded by superior American forces, beginning the short but unpleasant siege. Park Ranger Eric Schnitzer will lead a walking tour from the Saratoga Monument through part of Burgoyne’s camp.

Saratoga Surrender Day

Friday, October 17
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Saratoga Surrender Site

Visit with a park ranger at the Saratoga Surrender Site in Schuylerville, NY to learn more about the surrender of General Burgoyne and his forces.

Breaking Convention: How a Fussy Detail about British Uniforms Doomed Burgoyne's Army to Captivity

Sunday, October 19, 2025
2:00 pm
Visitor Center

When Burgoyne’s army surrendered at Saratoga, the agreement was that they could return to Europe. But Congress intervened, claiming that Burgoyne broke the deal himself by not surrendering all the stuff he was supposed to. Or did he? This program examines how a tiny uniform detail broke our nation's first treaty.

Park Ranger Eric Schnitzer has called Saratoga National Historical Park home for more than two decades. Eric’s immense knowledge of military history and 18^th century material culture, which have made him one of the foremost experts on the Saratoga Campaign, come together perfectly in this talk.

“… A Very Sudden & Rapid Attack of the Enemy”: Exploring the Battle of Saratoga through Conflict Archaeology

Fall Lecture Series

October 23, 2025
6:30 pm
Visitor Center

On October 7, 1777, the Second Battle of Saratoga began in field of ripening wheat at Stop 5 along today’s Battlefield Tour Road. By the end of the day, the United States had achieved a monumental victory which resulted in the surrender of General Burgoyne’s army 10 days later. However, questions have remained on how the battle unfolded. How exactly were the contending forces arrayed? How did the American Army achieve victory on that October day?

In the fall of 2021, a team of researchers, archaeologists, and military veterans assembled at Saratoga National Historic Park under the auspices of American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) to look for answers to some of these questions. Ben Powers will share how the project played out and what was discovered during this three-week exploration.

Ben resides in Texas with his wife, K.C., and four children, Arthur, Michaela, Emma, and Jordan. He holds a master’s degree in strategic leadership from American Military University and served 24 years in the United States Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. Ben is an author, YouTuber, and President of the Board of Directors of the American Veterans Archaeological Recovery Project (AVAR). He participated in fieldwork in Barber’s Wheatfield on the Saratoga Battlefield in the fall of 2021.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email us ([e-mail]) to reserve your seat!

"Constantly at Hand": Getting into the Weeds of Skilled Enslaved Labor in Saratoga and Washington Counties

Fall Lecture Series

October 30, 2025
6:30 pm
Visitor Center

What did it take for a six-man crew to fell trees in frigid 18th century Saratoga? How did African (American) women master the arduous task of laundry day at the Schuyler Estate? How did Lewis, one of General Philip Schuyler's coachmen, earn a shoutout from Benjamin Franklin for his skilled maneuvering of rural roads? Join us as we dig deeper into the tools, knowledge, natural objects and skills that local enslaved people mastered while in bondage and piece together what 18th and early 19th century life might have been like for African Americans in Saratoga and Washington counties.

Dr. Shanleigh Corrallo is a scholar of African American history who has applied her research to positions in academia, government and public policy, and community advocacy. Through her work, Corrallo has developed programs and implemented policies that restore and uplift diverse communities across New York State that have been negatively impacted by social, economic and legal injustice. In her current role as a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, she works with Skidmore College and the New York State Division of Parks and Historic Preservation to unearth and document the lives of individuals enslaved in Saratoga and Washington Counties, New York. In addition to collaborating with the NYS Office of Parks on a portfolio of projects commemorating 400 years of presence and contributions of African Americans in the State, Corrallo has developed an oral history series with local descendants that will be housed at Skidmore College. Outside of the fellowship, Corrallo is working on a book project with the University of Rochester Press on the Black Power Movement in Buffalo and Rochester, New York.

Dr. Corrallo lives in the beautiful town of Schodack Landing, New York, with her beloved dog, husband, chickens and gardens.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email us ([e-mail]) to reserve your seat!

November

Saratoga Sunrise Photography Event

Saturday, November 1
7:00 am
Visitor Center Lawn

Want to appreciate the beauty of one of the last later sunrises of the year before the time change? Join Park Volunteer and Photographer David Truland and Park Ranger Kristin Vinduska to welcome a new day at the Saratoga National Historical Park Visitor Center Lawn on Saturday, November 1 at 7:00 am. Exchange photography tips and experience the beautiful fall scenery highlighted in the day's first golden light. This time of year is especially photogenic because of the fog that blankets the Hudson River first thing in the morning.

They Were Good Soldiers: African Americans Serving in the Continental Army

Fall Lecture Series

November 6, 2025
6:30 pm
Visitor Center

The role of African Americans, free and enslaved, in the regiments of the Continental Army is not well-known; neither is the fact that relatively large numbers served in southern regiments and that the greatest number served alongside their white comrades in integrated units. John Rees will discuss black soldiers’ acceptance, service, and experiences during and after the War for American Independence, focusing on those who served in Continental regiments. African American women with the army will also be featured.

John U. Rees has been writing for almost 40 years on the experiences of common soldiers and women in the armies of the American Revolution. He has authored over 200 articles, most available online. His first book, “They Were Good Soldiers: African Americans Serving in the Continental Army, 1775-1783 was published in 2019; his second, titled Don Troiani’s Black Soldiers in America’s Wars, 1754-1865, came out in January 2025.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email us ([e-mail]) to reserve your seat!

Agrippa Hull: A Revolutionary Life

Fall Lecture Series

November 13, 2025
6:30 pm
Visitor Center

Agrippa Hull was a free African American resident of Stockbridge, MA. He enlisted in the Continental Army in May 1777 and served for six years, first with General John Paterson of the Massachusetts Line and then with Tadeusz Kościuszko, the Polish military engineer. Declining Kościuszko’s offer to settle in Poland after the war, Hull returned to Stockbridge where he became a pillar of the community. Agrippa Hull’s story is remarkable for what he did during his lifetime and how much documentation remains from which we can extrapolate. Through letters, diary entries, land deeds, and even accounts in mercantile ledgers the story emerges of a member of the African American community in 18th century Berkshire County – a community whose stories can otherwise be difficult to trace.

Speaker Talya Leodari is the Curator at the Stockbridge Library Museum and Archives in Stockbridge, MA and has worked in the cultural heritage field for over twenty years. She holds an A.B. from Bryn Mawr College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Newcastle University in the UK. Her career has spanned many fields, but her focus throughout has been an interest in stories: whose stories get told and by whom, which stories are remembered and how. She is honored to be able to do this work at the Stockbridge Library.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email us ([e-mail]) to reserve your seat!

Battle of Bennington

Fall Lecture Series

November 20, 2025
6:30 pm
Visitor Center

The progress of the army under British Lieutenant-General John Burgoyne was impeded by the logistical requirements of continuing its advance toward Albany in the summer of 1777. Burgoyne sent a detachment commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Friedrich Baum to procure supplies in the newly proclaimed state of Vermont in an attempt to overcome this obstacle. Expecting little in the way of resistance, crown forces instead received a decisive check from the flinty General John Stark who commanded a collection of Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire state militias in addition to Warner’s Regiment. Victory at Bennington paved the way for victory in the Battles of Saratoga and ultimately in the war itself. Interpretive Programs Assistant David Pitlyk will deliver a presentation on the history of the Battle of Bennington drawing from primary source material and archaeological findings. The presentation will also touch on how the battle has been commemorated and interpreted over time, both in New York and Vermont.

David Pitlyk has served as the administrator of Bennington Battlefield for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation since 2015. He previously worked as the Interpretation Coordinator for the Destroyer Escort Historical Museum (USS SLATER) and graduated from the University at Albany with degrees in history and education. In his spare time, he is also a (very green) member of the recreated 24th Regiment of Foot.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email us ([e-mail]) to reserve your seat!

December

The Woes of Richard Montgomery: The Invasion of Canada, 1775

Fall Lecture Series

December 4, 2025
6:30 pm
Visitor Center

Winter is coming for the American Army in Canada and the fate of the soldiers rests upon the shoulders of General Richard Montgomery. Following the flashpoint of the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April and the easy capture of Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point in May, Congress authorized an invasion upon the advice of General Philip Schuyler in June. With significant support from Connecticut troops, an invasion force moved north from Crown Point in August. When the Americans encountered resistance from the British Army, command devolved upon Brigadier General Richard Montgomery of Rhinebeck. A former British officer, Montgomery had covered much of the same ground nearly twenty years earlier during the French and Indian War. In contrast to that preceding invasion, the efforts of 1775 would conclude in dismal failure.

Join Historian William P. Tatum III, Ph.D., for an unconventional investigation of this generally overlooked campaign, which partly served as a training experience for many leaders who would appear at the Battles of Saratoga. This presentation will focus on the plethora of personnel issues that threatened to defeat the American efforts more quickly and viciously than British resistance. Learn the fates of Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, riding high on the successful captures of Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point, yet soon to face a different experience in Canada. Meet John Brown, the future bane of the British forces re-occupying Ticonderoga. Decode the complicated interplay of the extended Livingston Family relations. Bask in the baleful fury of the age-old enmity between New Englanders and Yorkers. See how these threads came together to form the fabric of Richard Montgomery’s final months of life, a man who wanted nothing more than to be at home in Dutchess County.

William P. Tatum III holds a Ph.D. in British Imperial History from Brown University and has served as the Dutchess County Historian since 2012. He is a peer-reviewed published author and has presented extensively as venues across New York and the East Coast. He also leads Dutchess County’s Rev250 Commission and administers the Dutchess County Rev250 Programming Grant, which has underwritten 22 new projects in 2025.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email us ([e-mail]) to reserve your seat!

Myths and Realities of Col. Henry Knox’s Mission to Lake Champlain

Fall Lecture Series

December 11, 2025
6:30 pm
Visitor Center

In November 1775, Gen. George Washington gave Henry Knox a mission to travel to New York and bring back cannons for the Continental Army. Knox was a 25-year-old bookseller with no military rank. His trek back to Cambridge has become a beloved part of the American saga. This talk digs deeper into that story, examining such questions as who first had the idea to fetch cannon from Lake Champlain, how Knox had contributed to the Patriot movement, the ways weather affected the mission, and how much those cannon changed the British army’s plans.

J. L. Bell is the author of The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War and the National Park Service study General George Washington’s Home and Headquarters, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He maintains the Boston1775.net website, offering daily updates of history, analysis, and unabashed gossip about the people of Revolutionary New England. Bell is now working on a book about the troubled first year of the Continental artillery regiment.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email us ([e-mail]) to reserve your seat!