Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, Portside has multiple activities and is coordinating with The Red Hook Business Alliance and Friends of Fort Defiance for an afternoon and evening of programing in Red Hook’s waterfront Valentino Park. 

 4:00-6:00pm

Learn what our local Fort Defiance did!

Learn how Black and Native American mariners from Marblehead, Massachusetts evacuated George Washington’s army as it fled the Battle of Brooklyn to Manhattan. (They also got him across the Delaware River both times). This is part of PortSide’s African American Maritime Heritage program.

Meet re-enacators!

Work on a model of the British ship HMS Roebuck. (Spoiler: The real ship was turned back by the American’s Fort Defiance helping to save George Washington’s army). Other craft activities

Local actor and musician Bobby Cole will do a theatrical reading of the Declaration of Independence.

 6:00-8:00pm

Red Hook’s Proclamation of Historical Significance: official Brooklyn250 event by RHBA & Friends of Fort Defiance.  This is a panel discussion with historians about the role of Fort Defiance. This will be moderated by the Bowery Boys history group.

 8:30-10:30pm

PortSide projects Episode 3 of Ken Burns “American Revolution” about the Battle of Brooklyn.  (On our big inflatable screen).