Two hundred years ago the Gen. Marquis de Lafayette visited Harford and Cecil counties on a farewell tour. On July 29, Havre de Grace will celebrate the Revolutionary War hero during a special event and reenactment — the same date he visited the city 200 years earlier.
The commemoration will begin in Cecil County at the Port Deposit Town Square, from noon to 3:30 p.m., then finish at Concord Point Park in Havre de Grace, with a fireworks show.
At 3:30 p.m., “Lafayette” will board a boat and cross the Susquehanna River and travel to Frank Hutchins Park in Havre de Grace, just as he did in 1825. From there, he will head to Graw Alley at about 4:15 p.m. where a welcome ceremony will take place before he heads out to Concord Point Park for fireworks beginning around 8:30 p.m.
At the park, musical interpreter Tyler Diaz will perform compositions by Francis Johnson, an African American composer from Philadelphia who often performed in Havre de Grace. Johnson composed most of the music played at ceremonies that honored Gen. Lafayette.
In 2020, the city of Havre de Grace dedicated a marker at David Craig Park honoring Lafayette’s farewell tour of the U.S. The marker was placed behind his statue located at Legion Square at Union Avenue and St. John Street.
For more information on the celebration, community members can visit The Historical Society of Harford County’s website at harfordhistory.org.
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