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Cass River Colonial Encampment July 20-21

  British, French and American soldiers will be taking over downtown Frankenmuth and the Frankenmuth River Place Shops this weekend.

  History and adventure combine during the annual Cass River Colonial Encampment, set for Saturday and Sunday, July 20-21. Locals and guests alike will be able to witness a battle on the Holzbruecke on Sunday morning, learn about 18^th century military dress or have a conversation with Ben Franklin.

  The two-day event has free admission and will operate 9am until 6pm on Saturday and 9am until 4pm Sunday, with most of the activities centered around the River Place Shops. The Encampment includes more than 300 reenactors portraying military troops as they take part in tactical battle reenactments from the Revolutionary and French and Indian wars.

  Other actors will depict voyagers who explored the 18^th century American wilderness as well as Franklin, one of the United States’ founding fathers.

  The reenactors also speak and use gestures germane to their historic timeframe.

  Michael Keller Zehnder, vice-president of the Bavarian Inn, Inc., which owns River Place Shops, calls this one of the more unique experiences in the Great Lakes Bay Region.

  𠇏or the past 13 years, families have enjoyed a free and fun learning experience through the event,” Zehnder said. “It was great to see parents and their children diving into history together, and exploring the past while making family memories that last a lifetime.”

  Over the years, thousands of visitors have traveled from out of state and the country to visit the Encampment and take part in the family-friendly activities like flag-raising ceremonies and period musical concerts.  This year’s musical entertainment will feature Midland County’s Tittabawassee Valley Fife and Drums Corps and Irish folk singers.

  Other activities include weapons demonstrations, daily fashion shows, colonial-inspired vendors and tours of authentic campsites set up by the reenactors on the east side of River Place Shops and the area east of the Holzbruecke. Toddlers through older generation cook and clean around campfires.

  Each day kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony and march from the pedestrian bridge between River Place Shops and Covered Bridge and Leather Gift Shop and features a tactical battle reenactment at either the River Place Shops or Holzbruecke.

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