Perry Memorial has big weekend coming up

PUT-IN-BAY — People can celebrate a U.S. victory that saved Ohio and the nation at an event this week. The Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial at Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island is hosting a weekend of events to mark the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie, the most important battle in the War of 1812. During the Sept. 10, 1813, engagement, American ships led by Oliver Hazard Perry captured an entire British naval squadron after a fierce battle, essentially ending a British threat to the new state of Ohio. It's where the famous phrase "Don't Give Up the Ship" originated from. Those were the words on Perry's battle flag when aboard the USS Brig Niagara. Scribbling a bulletin on the back of an envelope, Perry sent the good news to his boss: "We have met the enemy and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop." Visitors can learn more about the battle when they visit the memorial as part of this weekend's celebration. The scheduled events begin the evening of Friday and will continue through Saturday and Sunday, culminating at 3 p.m. Sunday with a wreath-laying and cannon-firing. But even if visitors miss some scheduled events, they can visit the memorial — and, all weekend long, there will be plenty to see and listen to with continuous demonstrations and talks.: • Music from the period will be performed. • Cannons will be fired off. • Rangers volunteers will teach people about the War of 1812, the Battle of Lake Erie, blacksmithing, frontier life, early 19th-century medical care, historic cooking and tin smithing. People can find out more by visiting nps.gov/pevi/index.htm. Note that the memorial isn't just for a famous victory. It's a peace memorial, too. For more than 200 years, the U.S. has had peaceful relations with Canada and the British. Want to go? Here is a full schedule of events: Friday • 7 p.m. — Flag retirement ceremony at the base of the flag poles Saturday • 11 a.m to 1 p.m. — Living history, small arms and artillery demonstrations on the west lawn • 2 p.m. — Community parade through Put-in-Bay featuring vintage Broncos and marching bands from area high schools, including Clyde • 3 p.m. — Marching bands from Clyde and Anthony Wayne high schools to perform near the flag poles on the west lawn • 3:30 p.m. — Sounds of Victory program featuring bagpipes, music of the 1813 era, fife and drums and artillery demonstrations Sunday • 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Living history, small arms and artillery demonstrations on the west lawn • 3 p.m. — Memorial ceremony on the back porch of the visitor center with a procession to the rotunda of the memorial for a wreath-laying followed by the last artillery demonstration of the 2023 season Monday • The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the U.S. will be remembered with a special display of flags on the upper plaza of the memorial. Flags will be flown to represent each country that had a citizen killed during the terrorist attack.