See below for information on events where Lafayette will visit Camden, SC!

Friday, March 7th, 10-4:  “Run to the Waxhaws” tour of the following battle sites:  Camden, Hobkirk Hill, Fort Rugeley, Hanging Rock, and Waxhaws.  Includes a box lunch (will get in contact with participants next month for food preferences) Departs from Historic Camden:  222 Broad St, Camden, SC, 29020. $75 pp

Friday, March 7th, 5-close:  McCaa’s Tavern Yard Supper featuring Half-Crown Bakehouse’s Provisions Plate.  Justin Cherry is the proprietor of Half-Crown Bakehouse and the resident baker at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.  Takes place at Historic Camden, admission is free, food and drinks (including 18th C. libations, beer, and wine) are available for purchase. It will also include live music and cannon firing at dusk.

Friday, March 7th, 6:45:  1825 Folklore & Legends Lantern Tour at Historic Camden.  From our website:  “Hear about Lafayette’s legendary return to America. Other tales will include the Hopkins vs. Nixon duel, hotheaded James Blair, Barbara Powers and the last witch trial, and the ghost of Dixie Boykin.” $10 pp

Saturday, March 8th, 10 am:  Lafayette Arrival Ceremony at the Kershaw-Cornwallis House.  (Lafayette arrives in an open carriage.)  We will recreate the speeches given at that location on March 8th, 1825.  Free to the public.

Saturday, immediately following the arrival ceremony:  parade through Camden (Lafayette in an open carriage) to Bethesda Presbyterian Church.  The parade is sanctioned by the city, and there will be multiple participating organizations.  We welcome AFL members to walk in the parade if they’re up for it.  The distance is about a mile.  Free to the public.

Saturday, at the end of the parade,  Lafayette and the Freemasons will recreate the laying of the cornerstone for General DeKalb’s monument.  (The Freemasons have the ceremonial trowel they used in 1825, as well as a jewel that Lafayette gifted to them.)Free to the public.

Saturday after the parade, until 4 pm:  Living History Open House at Historic Camden, which will include living history demonstrations, a book talk and Q&A with Jenny Cote and Libby McNamee and Lafayette, and a musical presentation by the University of South Carolina Graduate Ensemble.  There is a $10 entrance fee for the Living History Open House (no advance tickets required), the other events are free to the public.  Lunch will be available for purchase from Half-Crown Bakehouse.

Saturday, March 8th, 1-3 pm at McCaa’s Tavern at Historic Camden:  Make & Take Workshop—learn how to dye with indigo and embroider, the number of participants is limited, $25 pp

Saturday, March 8th, 5 pm:  1825 Dinner at McCaa’s Tavern cooked by Chefs Justin Cherry & Hugh China.  Justin is curating an elegant dinner featuring South Carolina dishes popular during Lafayette’s visit.  Includes wine, port, and nonalcoholic drinks.  Tickets for dinner and the Soirée are combined:  $150 pp for dinner & soirée.

Saturday, March 8th, 7 pm:  1825 Soirée at the Robert Mills Courthouse (607 Broad Street, two blocks from Historic Camden.  Live music, English Country Dancing with Mr. Steplively as the dance caller, cash bar, and refreshments served.  Note:  right now, the soirée tickets are only available as a combo with the dinner.  We will be opening up the Soirée *only* tickets for $50 pp next month.

Sunday, March 9th, 9:30 am:  Regency-style breakfast cooked by Chef Justin Cherry at McCaa’s Tavern.  During breakfast, we’ll give a talk on the Camden Burials Project, when we exhumed 14 soldiers at the Battlefield and had a big ceremony for them.  The latest phase of this program is they’re currently using DNA from two of the soldiers to try and determine their identities.  (Cutting edge stuff…there are only two other cases in the world where they’ve done this:  King Richard III of England and a noblewoman in Switzerland from the 1790s.)  I know AFL members will find it fascinating! Following breakfast, we will offer a tour to visit and walk through some of the beautiful antebellum homes in Camden.  Tickets are $20 pp.  (This isn’t up on our website because it’s an exclusive event for AFL.)

Several local businesses, the Revolutionary War Visitors Center, the Camden Archives, and the Kershaw County Library in Camden will have Lafayette-themed events and exhibits ongoing throughout the weekend.  (For instance, the wine bar in town is going to do French wine tasting and trivia, and the Archives will be displaying a dress worn by one of the women of Camden to Lafayette’s reception.)  I’m working on finding a restaurant that might offer a special Lafayette-themed breakfast for Saturday morning…more to follow there.  (Otherwise, there’s always free hotel breakfast!)  We will have a roll-up of all the participating locations and what they’re offering closer to the date…most likely in mid-February.