We hope you’re ready for the excitement of historic proportion!

The Trenton Downtown Association recently announced that Patriots Week will be returning to Trenton from December 26th through December 31st.  Although it’s no secret that Trenton has historic roots, Patriots Week is a chance to transform the city and bring that history to life. The week will be jam-packed full of events including a Trenton Battlefield walking tour, musket demonstrations at the Old Barracks Museum, a “living museum” at Trenton Free Public Library, a pub crawl, a Fire Walk along the Assunpink Creek, a New Year’s Eve bonfire at Trent House. Activities are suitable for all ages and most events are free, so be sure to bring the whole family for entertainment with learnings along the way.

Patriots Week is a collaboration between the Trenton Downtown Association, the City of Trenton, and local non-profits. The week’s events tell the story of how George Washington and his Continental troops crossed the Delaware River to defeat the Hessians, all while housed in the barracks here in Trenton. The week is a particular favorite for war reenactors, who have a chance to act out the historic battles in real-time.

Some of the special events planned for this year’s festivities include:

• Trenton Battlefield Walking Tour with guide Ralph Siegel
• “A Revolutionary Conversation: Whose freedom anyway?” at Trenton Free Public Library features Sprout U School of the Arts students sharing the perspectives of African Americans on the Revolutionary War, its impact, and its meaning for enslaved people
• “Strangely Contaminated: The Loyalists of New Jersey” discussion led by Andrew Dauphinee, Instruction and Outreach Librarian at the New Jersey State Library, will discuss the forgotten New Jersey loyalists.
• “Alexander Hamilton and the 24 Cannons at the Battle of Trent Town” presentation by David Bosted about the critical role artillery played in the Battle of December 26, 1776, featuring 8′ by 10′ maps providing a birds-eye view of the action.
• “The Revolutionary World of a Free Black Man: Jacob Francis 1754-1836” webinar presentation by author and historian, William “Larry” Kidder on the life of free Black man Jacob Francis which highlights the longstanding systemic racism in the United States.

Saturday, Dec. 31 will be the Patriots Week 2022 finale including:

• Hogmanay Scottish celebration of the New Year at Trent House in honor of the founder of Trenton, who immigrated from Scotland, featuring bagpipers, folk tales, Scottish treats, and a bonfire to send off your wishes for 2023
• Assunpink Firewalk & Reading of The American Crisis featuring traditional music, warm drinks, and cookies on the Iron Bridge, followed by the dramatic lighting of 13 torches along the River Bank and the reading of Thomas Paine’s The American Crisis
• Continental Army March from Old Barracks Museum to Mill Hill Park
• Peace Vigil at Trenton Meeting of Friends
• Capital Philharmonic Orchestra of New Jersey New Year’s Eve Concert.

Additional details and a complete list of events are available here: Patriots Week 2022.

The event would not be possible without the support of the Trenton Downtown Association (TDA), a non-profit organization committed to the advancement of the City of Trenton. Since 1986, the TDA has produced programs and activities designed to promote economic growth and encourage investment in our great city. Events like Patriots Week help to highlight Trenton as a desirable place to live, work and play. As the city continues to prosper, these long-held traditions remind us of what’s made us great all along.

If you wish to partake in this great tradition this year, be sure to follow the Patriots Week website for the latest updates: Patriots Week – Home. If you have any questions, please contact the Trenton Downtown Association at info@trenton-downtown.org. See you on the battlefield!