The sun had finally come out to warm the city of Bardstown.  Colonists were enjoying the afternoon on the town green along the river. Children were playing in the grass. The small waterfall by the mill sounded peaceful enough, but masked the sound of an approaching enemy force.

Without warning, shots rang out and an Indian party swooped down on the unsuspecting villagers. Fierce hand-to-hand fighting erupted.  Colonists were killed and others were captured.  Women and children were dragged away screaming. The captives were taken back to the Indian camp and forced to run the gauntlet.

Just another day on the Kentucky frontier at Colonial Days in Bardstown. All this weekend, re-enactments like this take place at Old Bardstown Village.

Metalsmiths, leather crafters, surveyors, story tellers, musicians and more are all in authentic 18^th century garb, using the tools and techniques actually used during the period. There are so many re-enactments going on that Colonial Days is actually held in two locations.

In addition to the demonstrations given at Old Bardstown Village (adjacent to the excellent Civil War Museum) you’ll also find an equal number of artisans nearby at Wickland Estate.  A free shuttle bus runs every 15 minutes from one site to the other.

Organized entirely by volunteers from the re-enactor community, this is the fourth annual event. For more information about this year’s event or subsequent events, see their website at http://bardstowncolonialdays.com

The Civil War Museum and Old Bardstown Village are located at 310 East Broadway, Bardstown, KY. Wickland Estate is located at 550 Bloomfield Road, Bardstown, KY.