Victory Day Celebration

About this event

Saturday, October 17, marks the 249th anniversary of British General John Burgoyne’s surrender. Known as the Turning Point of the Revolutionary War, Burgoyne’s surrender marked the first time in world history that a British army laid down its arms in surrender.

To recognize this pivotal moment in American history, the Washington County 250th Commemoration Committee invites the community to Victory Day on Saturday, October 17. The celebration features three experiences, beginning at 2 p.m.

Guests can choose their own Victory Day experience, attending one program, two or all three. The day unfolds through three distinct experiences: LEARN, CELEBRATE and DINE, offering a mix of educational and entertaining stories, music, demonstrations, food and historical interpreters who bring the events surrounding Burgoyne’s surrender to life.

LEARN -  2 p.m. at Tiashoke: Farm, Store & More, located at 1134 NY-40, Schaghticoke, NY, where music and stories that bring General John Burgoyne’s 1777 campaign to life. Washington County Historian Thomas Ruffing will present Washington County’s role in the American Revolution and share what is planned for 2027 as the commemoration continues. Tim Kavanaugh will perform songs, accompanied by traditional jigs and live fiddle music, poetry and stories about the people and events of the campaign, including Jane McCrea, whose tragic death was used a powerful propaganda to galvanize support for the Patriot cause. Revolutionary-themed food will be available for purchase from Tiashoke’s scratch kitchen along with its full menu.

CELBRATE – 4:30 p.m. at Victory View Vineyard located at 11975 NY-40, Schaghticoke, NY, overlooking the very site of Burgoyne’s surrender, making this a remarkable setting that invites both reflection and celebration. The festivities include readings from first-hand accounts by John Peter Becker, James Wilkinson and Oliver Boardman, describing their experiences in Washington County during the Revolution; a long Pennsylvania rifle demonstration highlighting the type of weapon used by Morgan’s Rangers; blacksmithing demonstrations by Bee and Bramble’s Steve Mattison.

5 p.m. - Debbie Bailey of Greenwich will provide a first-person historic interpretation of Baroness Frederika von Riesdesel.

Dusk (approximately 6:08 p.m.) - 2nd Continental Artillery cannon firing.

DINE – 6:30 p.m. at Tiashoke: Farm, Store & More, located at 1134 NY-40, Schaghticoke, NY, hosting a buffet-style dinner featuring locally harvested food to include roasted pig, baked beans, scalloped potatoes, squash soup, applesauce and more. Tickets are $55 per person or $65 with one glass of Victory View wine for guests age 21 and older. Seating is limited to the first 50 people. Tickets are available by visiting Tiashoke: Farm, Store & More's website. 

Who Was the Baroness Frederika von Riedesel?
Baroness Frederika von Riedesel traveled to America in 1777 with her three young daughters to join her husband, General Friedrich Riedesel, commander of the German troops serving with General John Burgoyne’s army. The Baroness followed the army through the Saratoga Campaign and witnessed the increasingly disastrous Saratoga Campaign firsthand. On October 7, she was near the action at the Battle of Bemis Heights, the second Battle of Saratoga; a devastating defeat for Burgoyne’s army. As wounded men were brought back from the battlefield, she helped care for them while protecting her young daughters amid the growing chaos. Following Burgoyne’s retreat north toward Saratoga, the Baroness and her daughters took refuge in the Marshall House, where women, children and wounded soldiers crowded into the cellar as American artillery struck the house. She remained there during the desperate days leading to Burgoyne’s surrender on October 17, 1777. Her published journal and letters became an important eyewitness account of the campaign.