LEXINGTON — Since 1894, Patriots’ Day has been an official state holiday. Many people have the day off, but rather than sleep in, they may be running the Boston Marathon or going to Boston to watch either the Marathon or the Red Sox game.
Others take the opportunity to see the reenactment of the Battle of Lexington, which starts at 5:30 a.m. on Patriots' Day on the Lexington Battle Green. And if you're even more of an early bird, you can view the reenactment of Captain Parker giving orders to Lt. William Tidd at 5:05 a.m.
New this year, at 5:15 a.m., is the reenactment of civilians evacuating the Battle Green across Harrington Road.
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The town has been reenacting the Battle of Lexington, which occurred on April 19, 1775, for more than 50 years, and celebrating the event with parades and other festivities for more than a century.
“It’s better to experience something in person that just reading it from the history books. It brings history to life,” said Ariel Chin, manager of the Lexington Visitors Center. “Lexington is known for where the first battles had started in the American Revolutionary War, so it’s the start of our country, essentially."
What happened on the Lexington Green?
According to the National Park Service website, on the night of April 18, 1775, Gen. Thomas Gage, commanding the British garrison in Boston, dispatched more than 800 British Regulars to Concord with the aim of seizing and destroying large stockpiles of military goods being collected there.
Colonists in Boston noticed British soldiers leaving their barracks late at night and mustering on Boston Common. Patriot leader Dr. Joseph Warren dispatched Paul Revere and William Dawes to ride out to Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hanco*ck of the impending expedition.
The British soldiers' route passed through Lexington where members of the town’s militia company formed on the green.It was there, according to the National Park Service website, that eight militiamen were killed and 10 wounded — "the first of many colonists to fall that day. "
Three days of Patriots’ Day festivities in Lexington
For the past year, Lexington’s Town Celebrations Committee has been planning three days (April 13-15) of events, including battle reenactments, Paul Revere’s ride, two parades, award ceremonies, walking tours, trolley tours, historic property tours, memorial ceremonies, a five-mile road race, a hand bell concert and film screenings.
Details for all events can be found by visiting lexingtonma.gov and lexingtonhistory.org.
The town typically sees between 75,000 and 125,000 people attend its Patriots’ Day festivities, according to the Lexington Historical Society’s program manager, Sarah McDonough. But if the weather is good, even more may come.
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McDonough recommends experiencing the reenactment of the Battle of Lexington.
“The Battle Green is a very intimate space, and seeing the beginning of the Revolution is astonishing,” she said. “Even with the crowds, when you see the sun rise and hear the approaching British drums, modern reality does slip away and transports you back into the moment.”
As a treat for early birds, several pancake breakfasts are held in the area to recharge and enjoy the rest of the day, said McDonough.
Linda Dixon, a member of the Town Celebrations Committee and a longtime Lexington resident, has witnessed many battle reenactments.
Here favorite part is when she hears the sound of the drumbeat.
“There is dead silence for a couple of minutes — but all of a sudden, you hear this drumbeat," she said. "You can’t place it. You don’t know who it is, but you hear it and then you suddenly realize it’s over your shoulder, behind you, in Lexington Center. It’s the British and they’re approaching. The drums get louder and l louder, and suddenly there are 200 gorgeous British soldiers in these red uniforms with the beaver hats and five-foot long rifles.
“They’re terrifying.”
PHOTOS:The 2019 reenactment of the Battle of Lexington
About the parades
There are two parades happening April 15 in Lexington. The first is the Sunrise Youth Parade at 7:30 a.m., beginning at Cary Memorial Hall. The second, open to all ages, begins at 2 p.m.
Dave Grabel is co-coordinator for this year’s Patriots’ Day afternoon parade. It will have 90 units, including about a dozen floats that are part of a contest.
Other units include more than a dozen marching bands, jugglers, unicyclists, Uncle Sam on stilts, the Lexington Minute Men, Bedford Minutemen and Concord Minute Men.
Miss Massachusetts, Chelsea Vuong, will ride in a car as part of the parade, as well Lexington resident Raney Aronson-Rath, who won an Academy Award for her documentary, “20 Days in Mariupol.”
“She promised to bring her Oscar along,” said Grabel.
There will also be representation from diverse community groups, such as the Chinese American Association, the Indian Americans and the Disabled American Veterans.
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What to know before you go
Chin recommends arriving (very) early, before the reenactment starts.
“Not everyone knows that it will be hard to find parking that early in the morning, and you want to get the best spots,” she said.
If you're arriving later, be aware that Massachusetts Avenue will be blocked off to traffic starting from Pleasant Street at 12:30 p.m. heading toward the center.
Chin recommends using Uber or Lyft to get to the Battle of the Green event on April 15 because there is no public transportation that early.
MBTA 62 and 76 buses will run on a modified Saturday schedule on Patriots' Day.
For more information about road closures and parking throughout the weekend, visit lexingtonma.gov.
Kick-off for Lex250
The 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington Green happens next year. The town's Semiquincentennial Commission (Lex250) is having a kick-off ceremony to countdown the 365 days leading to the anniversary. On April 19, Lex250 will unveil an oversized countdown calendar in front of Cary Hall, followed by events throughout the day including a concert featuring the Lexington Bicentennial Band.
Each day leading to the 250th anniversary, a different organization from Lexington, Lincoln, Arlington and Concord — the four towns that are part of the Semiquincentennial Commission — will take turns changing the number on the calendar.
Suzanne Barry, vice chair of the Lexington Select Board and a lifelong resident of the town, is chairing the Semiquincentennial Commission. The celebration begins April 19 and ends in July 2026.
To learn more, visit lex250.org.
