Battles and Beverages | Fort William Henry March 22, 2025
- Fort William Henry Museum 46 Canada Street Lake George, NY, 12845 United States (map)
Battles & Beverages at Fort William Henry on Lake George
Fort William Henry
Attend a unique and fun historical event — Battles & Beverages — at Fort William Henry. This exciting day features reenactments of French and Indian Winter Warfare, along with a unique fair showcasing sutlers and craft beverages.
The celebration commemorates the 270th anniversary of Fort William Henry's construction and the 268th anniversary of the March 1757 attack on the Fort.
The Fort William Henry Corporation, the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance, and the French and Indian War Society are partnering to bring you this event.
History of the March 1757 attack.
On St. Patrick’s day in March 1757, during the French and Indian War, French forces and their Native American allies launched a surprise attack on Fort William Henry, a British outpost on Lake George.
British soldiers defending Fort William Henry.
The attack, led by François-Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil, was a raid rather than a full-on siege. While the British successfully repelled the attack, the French soldiers destroyed supplies, burned nearby structures, and damaged the Fort’s outer defenses before withdrawing.
Though the Fort withstood this assault, it was left vulnerable. Later that summer, a more significant French force under Montcalm besieged and captured Fort William Henry, leading to the infamous massacre of British troops and civilians by Native warriors. James Fenimore Cooper included the siege in “The Last of the Mohicans.”
A unique day of events and celebrations
The day includes reenactments of actions that took place during the six days of assaults on the Fort that involved over 2000 Men. Reenactments are scheduled for 11 am and 1 pm, although these times may change. If you’re interested in participating in the reenactments, register online.
The event will include a sutler's fair from 9:30 am to 5 pm. A “sutler” was a person who followed an army and sold provisions to the soldiers. Vendors will offer demonstrations and displays and will have items and crafts for sale.
Local craft brewers, distillers and wineries will offer tastings and sales alongside the sutler fair.
For more information, visit the Fort William Henry Museum website.
Fort William Henry Museum in Lake George.
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