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05/07/2019 04:20 PMIt’s a strange affair, the Burning of the Ships Parade, a.k.a the Losers Day Parade, which is held each May in downtown Essex. This year the celebration will be held on Saturday, May 11.
It was a fateful night in 1814 when a company of British Royal Marines landed at the foot of Essex’s Main Street and proceeded to set ablaze all of the ships moored in the harbor, as well as those that were being built on the ways around town. This chaotic night during the War of 1812 was one of the most devastating attacks on United States soil in history.
In celebration of this special event, the Connecticut River Museum will have historic reenactors on its lawn from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. complete with costumes, demonstrations, and opportunities to learn about the War of 1812 and historic significance to the town as well as the country. The museum encourages everyone to come meet the Free Men of the Sea and learn about Connecticut’s privateers.
The highlight of the day’s celebration is always the parade of fife and drum corps down Main Street, which begins at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall and ends at the Connecticut River Museum. As per tradition, this year once again the parade is being led by the Sailing Masters of 1812, a fife and drum corps based in Essex with members from across the state.
“The museum is excited and very proud to once again make our beautiful grounds available for this event,” said Interim Museum Director Tom Wilcox. “I hope everyone stops by to check out the museum and have a great time. This event is always lots of fun and an opportunity for the community to come together.”
The Connecticut River Museum will offer $5 admission for the day and will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It is very exciting that we are once again coming up on the Burning of the Ships Parade and celebration in town,” said First Selectman Norm Needleman. “We celebrate a battle we lost, but want to commemorate it as one of the most significant naval battles in history.”
He added, “Thanks to the Sailing Masters for coordinating this as usual. They always do a wonderful job in arranging for all the fife and drum corps here and its always exciting.”
The Sailing Masters of 1812 annually participates in many parades, musters, and concerts, including the Burning of the Ships Commemoration, the Deep River Ancient Muster, and more. All of these events can be found on its website sailingmasters.org or on its Facebook page www.facebook.com/SailingMasters.