Pennsylvania Great Outdoors: French & Indian War Encampment Set for June 11-12


COOKSBURG, Pa. (EYT) – Cook Forest State Park will come alive with sights and sounds of French and Indian War on June 11-12, 2022.

(PICTURED ABOVE: Reenactment of French and Indian War. Photo courtesy Kyle Yates.)

Highlights of this full two-day encampment include woodland natives, cannon and musket firing, cooking, primitive skills, blacksmithing, tin smithing, pottery, children’s games, sutler camp, renown living historians, French & Indian War Era artisans, and live tactical engagements.

Stay the entire day as every battle is different. Take a walk back in time along the Black Bear Trail by the Sawmill Center for the Arts during open camp hours to experience life as British, Colonial, French, and Native American re-enactors as they portray lifestyles of the 18th century.

Saturday, June 11

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Event Opens
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. – Murph’s Blacksmithing Demonstration – by Dennis Murray: story-teller, blacksmith & Clarion County’s #1 liar, across from Sawmill Craft Market
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Turkey Wingbone Call Fabrication – by Paul Stillman, living historian from Historically Speaking in the old Sawmill Classroom, on-going quill & bamboo pen making demos ($15 for materials)
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Cooking Demonstration – by Geoffrey Domowicz, Compagnie LeBoeuf chef, along Black Bear Trail at the main encampment site
10:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – French & Indian War Era Art & Demonstrators – meet with distinguished artists, authors, artisans, and demonstrators in the Old Sawmill Classroom
11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Cannon & Musket Firing Demonstration – by the camp Corps of Artillery, located in the woods along Black Bear Trail across from the old Sawmill Classroom
11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Peril in the Forest – tactical engagement in the woods along Black Bear Trail across from the Old Sawmill Classroom
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – ‘Conrad Weiser: In the Steps of a Peacekeeper’ by Richard Pawling, renowned living historian from History Alive!, at the Sawmill Theater (free, but donations towards the event gladly accepted)
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. – 18th Century Children’s Games – by the Noel family, Compagnie LeBoeuf, along Black Bear Trail at the main encampment site
2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. –  Powderhorn & Turkey Wingbone Call Fabrication – by Paul Stillman, living historian from Historically Speaking in the Old Sawmill Classroom, on-going quill & bamboo pen making demos ($15 for materials)
3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Murph’s Blacksmithing Demonstration – by Dennis Murray: story-teller, blacksmith & Clarion County’s #1 liar, across from Sawmill Craft Market

Cook Forest French and Indian War Blacksmith Demonstration. Photo courtesy Mazzarella.

Cook Forest French and Indian War blacksmith demonstration. Photo courtesy Mazzarella.


3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Cannon & Musket Firing Demonstration — by the camp Corps of Artillery, located in the woods along Black Bear Trail across from the old Sawmill Classroom
4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Peril in the Forest – tactical engagement in the woods along Black Bear Trail across from the old Sawmill Classroom
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. – ‘1737: Going to Onondaga on the Path of Peace’ by Richard Pawling, renowned living historian from History Alive! at the Sawmill Theater (free, but donations towards the event gladly accepted)

Sunday, June 12

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Event Open
9:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. – 18th Century Sunday Service by the 42nd Highland Regiment, located in the main encampment site along Black Bear Trail
9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. – Murph’s Blacksmithing Demonstration by Dennis Murray: story-teller, blacksmith & Clarion County’s #1 liar, across from Sawmill Craft Market
10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. – 18th Century Children’s Games – by the Noel Family, Compagnie LeBoeuf, along Black Bear Trail at the main encampment site
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Powderhorn & Turkey Wingbone Call Fabrication – by Paul Stillman, living historian from Historically Speaking, in the old Sawmill Classroom, on-going quill & bamboo pen making demos ($15 for materials)
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – French & Indian War Era Art & Demonstrators meet with distinguished artists, authors, artisans, and demonstrators in the old Sawmill Classroom
11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Cannon & Musket Firing Demonstration by the camp Corps of Artillery, in the woods along Black Bear Trail across from the old Sawmill Classroom
11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Peril in the Forest – tactical engagement in the woods along Black Bear Trail across from the old Sawmill Classroom
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Murph’s Blacksmithing Demonstration by Dennis Murray: story-teller, blacksmith & Clarion County’s #1 liar, across from Sawmill Craft Market
2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Cannon & Musket Firing Demonstration by the camp Corps of Artillery, in the woods along Black Bear Trail across from the old Sawmill Classroom
2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Peril in the Forest – tactical engagement in the woods along Black Bear Trail across from the old Sawmill Classroom.

Find more interesting history to explore in Pennsylvania’s Great Outdoors region online at VisitPAGO.com.

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