Living history on display in Hubbardton

HUBBARDTON, Vt. (WCAX) - The sights and sounds of the American Revolution came alive at the Hubbardton Battlefield for the largest Revolutionary War living history weekend in northern New England.

Reenactors from across the Northeast set up camps at the Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site which commemorates the Revolutionary War battle fought 245 years ago.

“One of the goals or objectives is to have these time-lapse moments where just for an instant you feel like you’ve stepped back in time,” said Mike Barbieri, a reenactor.

The battle at Hubbardton would ultimately contribute to turning the tide for the patriot cause. and the reenactment allows visitors to experience history right where it happened.

“It’s basically getting into the lives of the individual and portraying that so people can understand what they had to live with and what they sacrificed in order to have what we have now... people don’t realize. They don’t get education out of books... you have names, you have places, you have dates, you have events-- that’s about it. You come to something like this and you see what people had to live with and how they had to live,” said Jim Casco, an organizer and reenactor.

Visitors were able to walk through the Colonial encampment, interact with reenactors, and observe tactical and artillery demonstrations.

While the events are fun, those involved say what they want to offer the public the most is an educational experience.

“There’s a lot of guys that are out here to play cowboys and Indians, just big guys playing. They’ll do the fights, they’ll blow a lot of powder on the field and that’s what they want to do. What I want to do is I want to take my knowledge of the 18th century and present it to somebody that doesn’t know anything about it,” said Casco.

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