The Skirmish

The British are coming to Downtown Haddonfield! The annual ‘Skirmish’ in Haddonfield, sponsored by The Friends of the Indian King Tavern Museum, takes place on Saturday, June 1st. Rain date for the Skirmish is Sunday, June 2nd. The event marks the re-enactment of the type of skirmishes that took place in the historic downtown, leading up to the Battle of Monmouth in June of 1778.

The day is jam-packed with several live history presentations, games, demonstrations, music, food, and much more, beginning at 10 AM and continuing until 4 PM. The Haddonfield Historical Society will be giving guided walking tours, highlighting the history of colonial Haddonfield. From 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, visitors can have a caricature drawn of themselves in colonial or Red Coat garb at the Haddonfield Farmers Market. There will also be a pre-Skirmish visitation to shops throughout the downtown by the British Troops and Queen’s Rangers.

At 10 AM, the Redcoats will occupy Downtown Haddonfield, while the Continentals encamp at the Indian King Tavern, 233 Kings Highway East.

At approximately 1 PM, the Redcoats will march down Kings Highway and encounter the Continentals. The battle will occur along Kings Highway outside of the Indian King Tavern.

The Skirmish will last 30 minutes between Haddon Avenue and Grove Street. It is highly probable that the British will drive the Continentals out of town before celebrating at the Indian King Tavern.

There will be plenty of space for viewing the Skirmish along Kings Highway, which will be closed to traffic. The re-enactors will be cooking over fires and guarding their camps. The Redcoats, including the Queen’s Ranger and their horses, will be behind Borough Hall; and the Continentals at the Indian King Tavern. Guests are welcomed to meet and talk with them.

Kings Highway will be closed to parking from Haddon Avenue to Grove Street on Saturday, June 1st from 7 AM to 2 PM.

Visiting the Indian King Tavern is like stepping back in time to the Revolutionary Era, with its period rooms and historical details. The Indian King Tavern is where the New Jersey Rebel Assembly met in 1777 as we fought a war against the British who were occupying the state. The tavern is now a museum and an important part of our state’s history. The Indian King Tavern is a state-owned history site operated with the assistance of the Friends of the Indian King Tavern.