Sept. 11, 2008

Mackinaw City, Mich. - The force of redcoats at Colonial Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City will increase on Sept. 20-21 when Mackinac State Historic Parks (MSHP) invites re-enactors from the King's 8th Regiment to move into the reconstructed colonial village and military fort.

The group of five members will portray the British King's 8th Regiment that was stationed in the Great Lakes region from 1768 to 1785, including at Fort Michilimackinac.

During admission hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the re-enactors join the fort's regular redcoat staff in musket and cannon firing demonstrations, colonial life tours and lively interaction with guests. All events are included with Colonial Michilimackinac admission: $10 for adults, $6.25 for youths age 5-17, and free for children 4 and under and Mackinac Associate members.

Colonial Michilimackinac is a professionally reconstructed 18th-century French and British military and trading outpost with 13 buildings. Exhibits include the "Treasures from the Sand" archaeological tunnel; "Redcoats on the Frontier," which lets visitors experience the lives of British soldiers in this remote but critical center of commerce; and the Southwest Rowhouse, where hearth cooking, crafts and colonial trading are demonstrated.

Mackinac State Historic Parks, a family of living history museums and parks in northern Michigan's Straits of Mackinac, is an agency within the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries. Its sites - which are accredited by the American Association of Museums - include Fort Mackinac, Mackinac Island State Park and Historic Downtown on Mackinac Island, and Colonial Michilimackinac, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park in Mackinaw City. Mackinac State Historic Parks is governed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, established in 1895 to protect, preserve and present the parks' rich historic and natural resources for the education and recreation of future generations. Visitor information is available at (231) 436-4100 or on the Web at www.MackinacParks.com.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).