Revolutionary Days celebration has activities set for children

Local children and youth will get to imagine living in Wilkes County during the Revolutionary War during the upcoming Revolutionary Days Kettle Creek Celebration weekend in February.

Activities especially designed for kids will include playing Colonial games, marching in a parade, learning how to march with muskets, and other living history demonstrations.

"Everyone - especially kids - should come out and participate in the Revolutionary Days Kettle Creek Celebration weekend, and have some fun while learning about how Georgia played an important part in the forming of our own great nation," said Washington-Wilkes Tourism Director Ashley Barnett.

At 10 a.m., Saturday, February 9, members of the Children, Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution organizations, including SAR Color Guards in Continental Army uniforms and militia attire, Revolutionary War re-enactors, and local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other youth organizations will participate in a parade.

Starting at the Mary Willis Library and ending on The Square in front of the Wilkes County Court House, the parade participants will take a step back in time to honor our founding Patriots and recall the Battle of Kettle Creek which along with other actions forged American independence.

Re-enactors portraying George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Nancy Hart, and many others will perform in living history demonstrations on The Square. The theme for the living history activities will be "Imagine Living in Wilkes County during the Revolutionary War."

There will be about 10 activities in The Square, including Colonial games and how to march with muskets. One exhibit will feature Colonial ladies and children's clothing and another exhibit will include a demonstration of Colonial spinning techniques.

When children have completed at least fiveactivities, they can "report" to the Militia who will help them sign an oath of allegiance and receive their reward. Black tricorn hats ($3) and white mob caps ($2) will be available for the participants to purchase.

One of the planned participants, Ted Smith from Cornelia, Georgia, said, "Living history activities are a way to have fun while learning about history and our ancestors, including their hardships and sacrifices during the American Revolution."

On Friday afternoon, entries in the Kettle Creek Poster Contest will be displayed at the Mary Willis Library. Washington-Wilkes Middle School 8th-grade students created the posters during their Social Studies classes. "We provided reference material about the Battle of Kettle Creek which the students used to illustrate their interpretation of the battle and Wilkes County during the Revolution," said Lillie Crowe, Bartram Trail Regional Library Director.

The top posters will be announced during activities on The Square Saturday and the many posters will be displayed for celebration participants.

"It is essential that each year we take time to remember and show our appreciation for our Patriot ancestors who put everything on the line for us in order to gain our freedom," according to George Thurmond, South Atlantic Regional Vice-President of the Sons of the American Revolution. "This can be done by attending fun-filled and dignified programs in Washington and at the Kettle Creek Battleground during Revolutionary Days."

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