Things that go boom: Revolutionary War Field Days

A history lesson is about the last thing you want when you’re out looking for a good time.

But trust us, Revolutionary War Field Days can be a fun way to spend an afternoon.

More Revolutionary War battles and skirmishes happened in South Carolina than anywhere else – and that alone puts this on our bucket list of events to experience in the Midlands.

The 45th edition of Field Days is Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 7-8, at the Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site in Camden.

Here, a few reasons we like the event:

If you wish you’d lived in another time, here’s your chance: See hundreds of redcoat and rebel re-enactors – from South Carolina and surrounding states – as they skirmish using military tactics from Southern Campaign battles. These soldiers set up camp for the weekend on the grounds occupied by the British in 1780-81.

Booming cannons: It’s hard not to get excited when the thunderous boom from a cannon rumbles the ground beneath your feet. No matter your age, actually hearing cannons firing – rather than reading about them firing in a history book – kicks it all up a notch.

Living the life: Watch period craftsmen ply their trades and listen to civilian interpreters share their lifestyles as you stroll through the camp. Also on tap are colonial games and a campaign trail scavenger hunt, fife and drum music, and shopping along Sutlers Row. The reconstructed Kershaw-Cornwallis House, an impressive piece of pre-Revolutionary War architecture on the grounds, also is a worthwhile stop.

Location, location, location: Camden itself is an attraction. Stroll some of the downtown shops, bars and restaurants. If you like antiques, check out the shops. But Camden is most known as a place for horses and the horse crowd. In fact, one of the city’s biggest events, the Colonial Cup, is coming up on Saturday, Nov. 21. It’s also on our event bucket list. And now, you’ll know how to get here.

This story was originally published November 3, 2015 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Things that go boom: Revolutionary War Field Days."