Pow Wow Dance & Drum Demonstrations

• Demonstrations of traditional Native dance and drumming.
• Demonstrations planned to begin at 10:00AM and continue on the hour.

Native Crafts & Stories

• Activities: Try your hand at making a dream catcher (children ages 5 to 12).
• Stories: Learn about the local Sappony Tribal history and hear stories about life in High Plains.

Celebrate our Earth with Plantings – Past & Present

• Learn the “Three Sisters” story of traditional Native planting from the Sappony Tribe.
• Learn about re-seeding our forests from the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
• Three Sisters planting demonstrations throughout the day on the hour

Birds of Prey Exibition

• See birds of prey and enjoy presentations about the birds and how you can protect them by the Virginia Raptor Conservancy.
• Presentations throughout the day on the hour.

Canoe the River

• Enjoy our water resources by taking a canoe ride while learning about the Sappony (Staunton) River and its contribution to trade, transportation & life ways of yesterday and today. Canoes launched from Watkins Bridge
• $15.00 per person - canoes will accommodate up to 30 people
• "I Canoed the Sappony River" T-shirts for each participant included
• Pre-registration details coming soon…

Archaeology Dig Site

• Discussions will be held throughout the day on the recent activities and finds of the on-site archaeology dig.

For more information visit Sappony River Festival web site>

Click the camera below to view pictures from this years event

In June of 1864, Union cavalry under the command of General James H. Wilson and August V. Kautz were making a raid through Southside Virginia, leaving a trail of destruction behind them. Their intention was to cut off the last remaining Confederate supply line; their main objective was the destruction of the railroad bridge over the Staunton River between Charlotte and Halifax Counties. Fighting against a force of over 5,000 men and far superior artillery, the bridge was saved through the gallant efforts of 296 Confederate troops and 492 "old men and young boys" who gathered at the bridge to defend it from the advancing Federals. This June 25 marks the 146th anniversary of this vital, but less well-known, battle – the Battle for Staunton River Bridge.

The Historic Staunton River Foundation and the Staunton River Battlefield State Park in conjunction with the Halifax Chapter 1321 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) will host a Commemoration of the Battle of Staunton River Bridge with a weekend full of activities beginning Friday night, June 25 (the actual day of the battle), and the revelry will continue with daylong events on Saturday, June 26 at the Staunton River Battlefield State Park in Randolph and Clover, Virginia.

A tentative schedule of events is as follows:

8:00PM-Dusk: Wagon Ride Tour of the Battleground

Dusk: Night Cannon firing demonstration by Cumming’s Cape Fear Light Artillery in Fort Hill in honor of the 146th Anniversary of the Battle of Staunton River Bridge. Please bring a flashlight.

9:00 – 9:45AM: Military Service Award Ceremony at Fort Hill near UDC monument, presented by the Halifax Chapter 1321 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. These service awards are presented to veterans who are lineal descendants of Confederate Veterans.

10:30AM: Guided Battlefield Tour and Narration will begin at the Staunton River Battlefield Bridge. Parking is available at Roanoke Station in Randolph and the Clover Visitors Center, and a bus will be provided for transportation.

Lunch – Hotdogs, BBQ, chips, concessions, and beverages will be available for purchase at the Picnic Shelter at the Clover Visitors Center. Members of the Sappony Indian Nation will be serving lunch. In addition, Sappony merchandise will be available for purchase.

12:30 – 1:30PM: Presentation on “Weapons of the Civil War” will be conducted by Mr. Robert M. “Bert” Dunkerly, the Lead Park Ranger at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. His presentation will focus on the weapons specifically used at the Battle of Staunton River Bridge. In addition, Mr. Dunkerly is an award-winning author and speaker who is actively involved in historic preservation and research.

Throughout the day: Living History Encampment presented by Confederate re-enactors from the 14th Virginia Infantry, Co. K and Oliver’s Battery, 21st Virginia, Co. C will be located next to Fort Hill. Prisoner demonstrations and Confederate cooking will be shown for public participation.

Throughout the day: Cannon firing demonstrations by Cumming’s Cape Fear Light Artillery in Fort Hill. A “firing schedule” will be available in the Clover Visitors Center.

Don’t forget to bring your entire family, friends, and your camera for these and other events held throughout the summer at the Staunton River Battlefield State Park.

This is a “tentative schedule” and every effort has been made to maintain and keep it accurate. If you or someone you know is a descendant, please inform a representative from the contacts below. Let us know if you are interested in helping plan or volunteer for this or one of the Foundation and Park’s many other events held throughout the year. For more information of the Battle Commemoration and upcoming events, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.stauntonriverbattlefield.org, email info@stauntonriverbattlefield.org, or call the Staunton River Battlefield State Park at 434-454-431

Annual Dinner Meeting and Special Speaker/Lecture/Presentation. Want to know more? Become a member of the Foundation for only $15. Your dues not only help support the mission of the Foundation, but also enable you to receive discounts in our gift-shop and invitations to "Foundation Members Only" events.

Come and enjoy our 9th annual Haunted Hayride. "Spooky" fun intended for the whole family. Enjoy local ghost stories and legends while you are riding on a hayride through the battlefield and low grounds. Tour lasts approximately 90 minutes; it is a part walking and part riding ghost tour. After you register for the Haunted Harvest Hayride, enter "if you dare" our Haunted Trail with optical illusions, witches and specters at every dark corner, and many other "hair-raising" special effects! Please bring a flashlight and be ready to be spooked with our local myths, legends, and scary tales! $5 per person, children 5 and under free. RSVP in advance! Call 434.454.4312.

Come and enjoy an Antebellum period Christmas at Mulberry Hill Plantation, the ancestral home of the Carrington family. Enjoy touring the historic home and grounds, joining in with Confederate re-enactors in the historic boxwood gardens in campfire cooking and living history demonstrations. Light refreshments are served with the hopes of a visit.