Saratoga 250 Presents The 5TH Annual Turning Point Symposium & Bus Tour

The Saratoga County 250th Commission announced tickets are on sale for the 5th Annual Turning Point Symposium. The event is May 2nd from 8:15AM to 3:30PM at the Old Saratoga American Legion Post, 6 Clancy St. in Schuylerville, NY. Additionally, a guided bus tour following the route of a British Raid on Ballston in October 1780 is offered on May 3rd from 10AM to 2PM.

General registration for the symposium is $75 and includes a light breakfast and deli lunch. The guided bus tour is $75 and includes a box lunch. Those interested can register for these events at Saratoga250.com.  

Lauren Roberts, Saratoga County Historian and Chair of the Saratoga County 250th Commission said, “As the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaches, we turn our attention to the ideas and actions of those who took part in the creation of this country. Symposiums like these remind us of how much we still have to learn from the people and events that took place two and a half centuries ago, and why their stories still matter today.”

Formerly known as the Women in War Symposium, the event features notable Revolutionary War era historians and authors presenting new scholarship to enhance our understanding of the War for American Independence.  This year, the topics focus on the upstate New York area and the impact felt by both combatants and residents throughout the war. Additionally, the event will include exhibitor displays, books, and cutting-edge augmented reality demonstrations.

Emceed by historian and author Dr. Bruce Venter, the symposium will feature five speakers with several presenters focusing on the varied roles women played in the American Revolution. Turning Point Symposium attendees will hear unfamiliar stories of loyalists and patriots, learn about the challenges (and opportunities) residents faced and discover how they navigated a very personalized and bloody conflict. An optional walking tour led by Town of Saratoga Historian Sean Kelleher explores the Schuyler Legacy concludes the day.

On Sunday May 3rd the weekend continues with the British Raid on Ballston Bus Tour, led by local historian Jim Richmond whose book War on the Middeline describes the settlement of Middeline Road in Ballston in the years leading up to the Revolution. The four-hour tour will include stops along the Sacandaga Reservoir and lunch at the Middle Grove Town Park.