Saturday, July 11th, 2026
10am to 4pm | Rain or Shine
King Park, Washington Square & various locations | Newport, RI
Free Family Fun Event | Donations Accepted
Experience Newport’s Revolutionary past brought to life!
On July 11, 1780, General Rochambeau and 6,000 French soldiers and sailors arrived in Newport, marking a turning point in the American Revolution. On July 11, 2026, join the Newport Historical Society in Washington Square for a day of living history featuring performances, historical demonstrations, and hands-on activities celebrating America’s oldest allies.
Visitors can explore Newport’s Revolutionary-era connections through engaging programs and family-friendly experiences across the square, with living history interpreters, historic trades, and interactive activities that bring this pivotal moment to life. Part of the NHS’s ongoing 250th-anniversary commemorations, French in Newport highlights the enduring alliance that helped secure American independence.
Step into Revolutionary-era Newport for a day of living history, performances, demonstrations, and hands-on activities commemorating the arrival of General Rochambeau and the French forces in 1780. Programs will take place throughout Washington Square, with trolley service at King Park, Trinity Church, Colony House, and Eisenhower Park.
This year’s French in Newport living history experience will be attended by Ambassador of France to the United States, Mr. Laurent Bili. The Ambassador will speak at a 10 a.m. wreath-laying ceremony that also features the French Military Band.
Featured throughout the day: The French Military Band will perform at both the beginning and end of the day’s programs, and the Kentish Guards Fife & Drum Corps will perform every hour for 25 minutes beginning at 11:30 a.m. The National Park Service and the Daughters of the American Revolution, Battle of Rhode Island Chapter, will also be on site throughout the day.
Schedule of Events (subject to change)
King Park
10:00 a.m. Remarks by Ambassador of France to the United States, Mr. Laurent Bili, and a wreath-laying ceremony with Alliance Française de Newport
Trinity Church
12:00 p.m. Wreath-laying ceremony with the American Society of Le Souvenir Français
Colony House
11:00–11:45 a.m. 18th-century medicine demonstration
1:00–1:45 p.m. 18th-century medicine demonstration
2:00 p.m. “French in 18th-Century Newport” walking tour departs
2:00–3:00 p.m. Lafayette & Rochambeau interview
3:00–4:00pm Final musical performances on the front steps of the Colony House
Eisenhower Park
11:00 a.m. All-day programs begin
11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m. 18th-century Military Textiles presentation
1:30–2:15 p.m. 18th-century Military Textiles presentation
Trolley Service
Two trolley services will operate throughout the day, with stops at key event locations. Map will be available, with stampers at every site; visitors who show a completed stamped map to “Get the Scoop” on Broadway will receive a special $2.50 ice cream cone.
Trolley Stops
Admission to all historic properties listed will be FREE for visitors during French in Newport. Thank you to the members of the Newport 250 Committee for making this possible.
• Washington Square
• King Park
• Trinity Church – https://www.trinitynewport.org/tours; open 10am-4pm
• Vernon House – Newport Restoration Foundation; open 10am-4pm
• Richard I. Burnham Resource Center – Newport Historical Society; open 10am-4pm
• Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House – Edward W. Kane & Martha J. Wallace Center for Black History; open 10am-5pm
• Hunter House – Preservation Society of Newport County; open 10am-4pm
For Kids and Families
• Children can try on reproduction 18th-century clothing and take photos, courtesy of the American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati.
• The first 150 children can make and decorate a mini boat with the National Park Service and become part of Admiral de Ternay’s fleet.
• Historic toys and games will be available throughout the day.
All-Day Highlights in Eisenhower Park
• Annawon Weeden
• Museum of the American Revolution – General George Washington’s Revolutionary War tent
• Apple cider press
• Silhouette artist
• French engineer interpretation
• Du Pont officer / 18th-century textiles
• Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail & National Park Service representatives
• Newport Historical Society iced tea and coffee tastings, with coffee provided by No Vacancy Coffee Co.
• Newport Historical Society mini gift shop
• Traveling Trunks try-on tent
• Historic toys and games
• Daughters of the American Revolution table
Roaming Interpreters
Look for General Rochambeau, the Marquis de Lafayette, local farmers and civilians, and a captured British soldier throughout the event.
Free programming is provided in collaboration with the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail.
