Concord, Massachusetts parade marks 250 years since start of Revolutionary War
The town of Concord, Massachusetts held a parade Saturday to mark 250 years since the start of the Revolutionary War.
Dawn salute and reenactment
A dawn salute was held at Old North Bridge in Concord on Saturday morning, where a monument marks the spot where the first British soldier fell, symbolizing the start of the Revolutionary War. Cannons and muskets were fired during the dawn salute as crowds watched, many of whom arrived early in the morning to get a good spot.
"I was, like, one of the first people here and there was police all over the place with dogs and it was pitch black," said spectator Craig Grimm.
A man portraying Dr. Samuel Prescott then rode over the Old North Bridge, warning the regulars, or British soldiers, were coming from Lexington.
"Literally, right where we are standing, were the 100 regulars who were holding the bridge," said David Wood, the curator of the Concord Museum. "You can't reconstruct it, it was quite a moment."
"There's a lot more people here," said First Sergeant reenactor Doug Ellis, who said they were preparing for this reenactment for years. "Normally at 6 o'clock in the morning, you've got to struggle to get people to show up at the bridge but now, look at this, it's fantastic."
Concord celebrates
A block party was hosted at 2 p.m. in the center of town, complete with a beer garden and historical exhibits. More than 20 food trucks were around town to celebrate the event.
