The Buffalo History Museum kicked-off the last year of the War of 1812 bicentennial Wednesday with the firing of muskets. This year a series of events will take place across western New York to commemorate the bloody battles of the war between the United States and Canada, and the 200 years of peace that followed.
The events include ‘the honouring’ with kaha:wi dancers at Old Fort Niagara in June, various battle reenactments on both sides of the Niagara River, War of 1812 Candlelight tour at the Hull Family Home and Farmstead in Lancaster, and an exhibit of war weaponry at the Buffalo History Museum.
Executive Director of the History Museum Melissa Brown says she encourages everyone to take part in the War of 1812 events.
“I was so impressed to learn about the significant artifacts that we keep as stewards for our whole nation in this community, whether it’s at Old Fort Niagara, the history museum, or over in Ontario at their forts. We have a really significant role in this story,” said Brown.
CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara Patrick Kaler says the events are expected to attract a lot of visitors to the region.
“The War of 1812 forever changed the course of history for western New York and Southern Ontario. Today, we celebrate the peace and the strong friendship between our two countries since that time. The stories each country holds about the War of 1812 are still alive today at Old Fort Niagara, Old Fort Erie, Fort George and the other sites in the region. For Buffalo/Niagara it’s really important to us to share these stories and provide a rare binational opportunity to showcase our region’s history to tourists around the world,” said Kaler.
Kaler says the events are a great opportunity to learn more about how our region looked and felt two centuries ago. For more information on the activities taking place across the region go to Visit1812.com