From November 20 to 22, 2026, Fort Lee will host the 250th anniversary of the Continental Army's 1776 "Retreat to Victory." RevNJ, the state's Revolution 250 organization, calls it the start of a seven-year run of anniversaries in New Jersey that lasts through 2033. New Jersey's anniversary years begin on the bluff above the Hudson, at the park entrance on Hudson Terrace just south of the George Washington Bridge.
The weekend is planned to move. On Saturday the program goes from the earthworks at Fort Lee Historic Park to Monument Park in town. On Sunday the column leaves Fort Lee entirely and follows the route the army took in 1776, ending at the Hackensack River. You can see part of it from a lawn chair at the park. To see all of it, you have to walk along.
Why the Route Is the Point
The retreat only makes sense as a movement. The Palisades Interstate Park history says Fort Washington, across the river, fell on November 16, 1776, and Washington ordered Nathanael Greene, who commanded Fort Lee, to get ready to evacuate. The British advance that forced the retreat came on November 20. Sources disagree on how many Americans were captured at Fort Washington. The park puts it at more than 3,000, and the Bergen County Historical Society says 2,700.
Where the army went next explains Sunday's plan. The Bergen County Historical Society says the troops from Fort Lee crossed the Hackensack River at New Bridge, and that Thomas Paine wrote about holding that bridge in The American Crisis, first published December 23, 1776. The park ties the same crisis to Paine's best-known line:
"These are the times that try men's souls."
The organizers have built the anniversary around that ground. The Brigade of the American Revolution is producing the reenactment with the Palisades Park Commission, Bergen County Parks, Historic New Bridge Landing, and the towns along the route. The park says the annual Retreat event is partly funded by the Palisades Parks Conservancy and the Town of Fort Lee.
Saturday, November 21: From the Bluff Into Town
Friday, November 20, is the actual anniversary, but it is a setup day. Reenactors from both armies camp at Fort Lee, and British units also camp at the Kearney House. Public programming at Fort Lee Historic Park runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's published pieces fall in roughly this order:
- Morning, Huyler's Landing. British reenactors who volunteer climb the Palisades from Huyler's Landing, then join the program at Fort Lee.
- 10 a.m., Fort Lee Historic Park. Public programming opens, with period soldiers and camp followers, music, cooking and artillery demonstrations.
- 11:30 a.m., Monument Park. The New Jersey Society, Sons of the American Revolution, holds a wreath-laying that runs until 12:30 p.m.
- Noon, the parade to Monument Park. Jersey's Best reported in June that the weekend includes a noon parade to Monument Park. The Brigade describes a memorial march into town this year, with representatives of each town on the Retreat Route speaking about the march.
- Afternoon, back at the park. After the ceremony comes a large tactical demonstration across the park grounds. It shows the American rearguard action as British and Hessian forces sweep through.
- Evening, the camps. The public can stay into the evening to hear stories from both sides and walk through the camps by firelight.
Two things stand out. The wreath-laying and the parade overlap at midday, both at Monument Park. The firelit camps are also the only part of the weekend that runs past the 4 p.m. close listed for the park program. On November 1 the park grounds move to winter hours, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Organizers have not posted an end time for the evening camps.
Sunday, November 22: The Column Leaves Fort Lee
On Sunday morning the weekend leaves town. The Brigade's plan has the American rearguard march out of Fort Lee along the historic Retreat Route, with escorts and members of the public along the way. A British column follows from Huyler's Landing.
| Stop | What happens there | Published timing |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lee Historic Park | The American rearguard starts the recreated evacuation | Park program 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Englewood Liberty Pole | Washington meets the column, which then heads for the Hackensack River. The British column is turned toward New Bridge here | No time posted |
| Historic New Bridge Landing | The two columns clash over the bridge and grounds around a fortified Steuben House. Includes a reading of The American Crisis and mounted portrayals of Washington, Greene and other generals | Reenactors arrive around 11 a.m. |
The New Bridge portion is the only part with a posted price. The Bergen County Historical Society's Retreat to Victory 250th event lists adult tickets at $15.50 and member or student tickets at $10.50, plus ticket fees. Those prices are for New Bridge. No admission price has been posted for the Fort Lee program. Hours at New Bridge are listed as 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by the Historical Society and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. by Bergen250. If you plan to drive ahead and meet the columns, check the Historical Society page closer to the date.
The Brigade says programming runs at both Fort Lee and New Bridge on Saturday and Sunday, between the scheduled weapons demonstrations. If you only want to watch from Fort Lee, Sunday morning at the park is your chance to see the column leave.
What Hasn't Been Posted Yet
As of early October, several key details are still missing. The park's own Retreat page still tells visitors to "stay tuned" and has no timed schedule. The Brigade says more information is coming and that its registration closes October 20. Still unpublished:
- A street-by-street map of the Saturday march into town and the Sunday Retreat Route
- Exact start times for the marches and tactical demonstrations
- Instructions for spectators along the route
- Shuttle details
What is confirmed is parking. Bergen250 says the meters at Fort Lee Historic Park will be in effect that weekend, and the park charges for parking year-round. From November 1, the visitor center is open Wednesday through Sunday. The anniversary falls on a Saturday and Sunday, so the center will be open both days. If you live within walking distance of Monument Park or Hudson Terrace, you can skip the meters.
The Weeks on Either Side
A few other events this fall fit around the retreat weekend.
The weekend before, the Barrymore Film Center holds its fourth Barrymore Short Film Festival on November 13 and 14. It includes screenings, Q&As, industry panels and an awards ceremony. Earlier, on Saturday, October 24, the BDA's free Fall-O-Ween Spooktacular runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hudson Lights Park, 183 Main Street, with face painters, balloon twisters, a magician, a DJ and candy.
There is also a new place to eat after Saturday's firelit camps. Lefkes, the Greek restaurant whose Sylvan Avenue building in Englewood Cliffs was lost to a fire on June 11, reopens as Lefkes at The Modern, 200 Park Avenue. Its grand opening is Friday, October 9. Owner Georgia Dumas is working with restaurateur Alexander Duran in the two-story former Ventanas space, much of the Ventanas team is staying on, and the menu is modern Greek. It is listed as open until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
For those who want background before November, RevNJ lists "Revolutionary Lives" at the River Edge Public Library from October 8 to 21, with an opening reception October 8 at 4:30 p.m. Patch reported that the exhibit is timed ahead of the anniversary and focuses on people caught in the middle of the Revolution. River Edge is on the far side of the Hackensack, near where the Sunday column ends.
The Kolsky Team has worked out of Fort Lee for decades, and we follow these moments in borough life as closely as we follow the market. If you are weighing a move to the streets the Retreat Route passes through, or within walking distance of Monument Park and the bluff, our Fort Lee neighborhood guide is a good place to start. When you want a direct conversation, we are here.
