Winter Woods Battle returns to Old Fort Niagara on Saturday, February 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will feature cordwaining as a new demonstration along with its assortment of other indoor and outdoor living-history activities for visitors.
This year, visitors will learn about cordwaining, (making new shoes from leather), in the 18th century from a guest cordwainer, Brett Walker, of Ligonier, Pa. Additionally, there are indoor and outdoor activities including quill writing, making a tin ornament, starting a fire with flint and steel, building winter shelters with branches, learning the history of snowshoes and the Great Lakes fur trade. Plus, the annual trek into the woods for the battle!
Re-enactors from regional units – Brant’s Volunteers, Hoisington Rangers, New York Provincials and Shroth’s New York Company – join the fort’s staff and volunteers in presenting a full slate of programming for all for both indoor or outdoor enthusiasts.
The Winter Woods Battle offers everyone a chance to get some fresh air, wander around historic buildings and experience life in the 1700s with fun and friendly re-enactors and Old Fort Niagara staff.
Schedule of Activities
Everything is included with regular admission to the fort and members get in for free.
10:00 a.m. – Noon A Winter’s Project – Cordwaining demonstration by Brett Walker of Ligonier, Pa. (formerly with Colonial Williamsburg, Va.). Learn how shoes are made in the 18th century.
10:00 a.m. – Noon Quill Penmanship – Take up your quill and learn to write in the 18th-century style. Experience life when “texting” meant a quill pen, inkwell and paper.
10:00 a.m. – Noon Winter Games
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Food on the Frontier – 18th-century hearth cooking demonstration
10:15 a.m. Musket Firing Demonstration
11:30 a.m. Winter Survival in the Fort and on the Trail
Noon Start a Fire with Flint and Steel
12:15 p.m. Musket Firing Demonstration
12:30 p.m. Shelter Building
1:00 p.m. Tinsmithing, Make and Take a Tin Ornament
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Quill Penmanship
1:15 p.m. Musket Firing
1:30 p.m. The History of the Snowshoe: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
2:00 p.m. The Expedition: Be on the front lines as French forces from the fort clash with British rangers posted in the woods. Walk on snowshoes (weather permitting*) and enjoy hot chocolate in the British camp. This is approximately a one-mile hike. Please wear practical footwear and dress for the weather.
2:00 p.m. Fur Trading Demonstration: Hear tales of the voyageurs and their lives on the Great Lakes.
2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Cordwaining (shoemaking) Demonstration
2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Winter Games
2:15 p.m. Musket Firing Demonstration
3:15 p.m. Musket Firing Demonstration
4:15 p.m. Musket Firing Demonstration
Ongoing Demonstrations: Fishing, Native American Stories and Songs
*If there is enough snow, please note that snowshoes are provided first-come, first-served, and visitors are welcome to bring their own. Warm drinks and snacks will be for sale onsite at the log cabin. Members of the Old Fort Niagara Association have free admission to‘Winter Woods Battle. General admission is $15 for adults, $10 for children ages 6-12, and free for children ages 5 and under.
More information about membership and Old Fort Niagara’s upcoming events and programs is available at www.oldfortniagara.org.
Old Fort Niagara is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admissions end 30 minutes before closing. Old Fort Niagara is a Registered National Historic Landmark and New York State Historic Site operated by the Old Fort Niagara Association (a not-for-profit organization) in cooperation with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
