New Bern to Commemorate 250th Anniversary of Historic Statia Day with Cannon Salute and Revolutionary War Demonstrations

The Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter, NSDAR, and the New Bern Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution invite the public to a free Statia Day celebration, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the first foreign salute to the American flag.

YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/I78DlmM7NkU

EVENT DETAILS
• Date: Monday, November 16, 2026
• Time: 1:00 p.m.
• Location: Union Point Park, New Bern
• Admission: Free and open to the public
Highlights include live cannon fire from a U.S. Coast Guard vessel and a Revolutionary War musket demonstration.

Free Public Celebration — November 16 at Union Point Park
NEW BERN, N.C.: The Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter, NSDAR, and the New Bern Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) invite the public to a free Statia Day celebration on Monday, November 16, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Union Point Park. The event will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the first salute to the American flag by a foreign authority and will feature live cannon fire from a U.S. Coast Guard vessel and a Revolutionary War musket demonstration.
On November 16, 1776, the American brig Andrew Doria entered the harbor of St. Eustatius, a Dutch Caribbean island known as Statia. When the American vessel fired a salute, Fort Oranje returned the salute with cannon fire. Widely regarded as the first acknowledgment of the American flag by a foreign authority, this historic exchange marked a symbolic milestone in America's struggle for independence.