WEST PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — Scioto County will host its first Revolutionary War encampment next month, bringing colonial-era reenactors, weapons demonstrations and living-history exhibits to the riverfront as part of the nationwide celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The event is scheduled for Aug. 15 and 16 at Earl Thomas Conley Riverside Park in West Portsmouth, according to a post from Scioto County commissioners’ tourism office, Explore Scioto. The park, which sits along the Ohio River off U.S. 52, is named for the late Grammy-nominated country singer-songwriter Earl Thomas Conley, a Portsmouth native known for hits including “Holding Her and Loving You” and “Love Out Loud.”
Organizers said the two-day encampment will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Reenactors portraying colonial soldiers and civilians will camp on the grounds throughout the weekend, with scheduled artillery and musket demonstrations, guest speakers on Revolutionary War-era topics, colonial games and crafts for children, food trucks and vendors known as sutlers selling period goods.
The encampment is being held under the banner of America250, the multi-year national initiative organized to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding in 2026. Communities across the country have been staging similar historical programming this year tied to the milestone.
Explore Scioto is promoting the encampment as an annual event, with this year’s marking the first installment. A full schedule of demonstrations and speakers is posted at explorescioto.com.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Scioto County commissioners’ Explore Scioto tourism office.
