Sunny skies and temperatures in the 40s helped draw a large crowd to Washington Crossing on Thursday for the 73rd annual Christmas Day reenactment of General George Washington’s 1776 crossing of the Delaware River. More than 1,500 people lined both sides of the river, filling the banks, walkways, and the bridge to watch one of the region’s longest-running holiday traditions.
Parking on the New Jersey side spilled into the state park lots, along River Road, and up the hill, where many visitors made their way down on foot. Inside the historic Nelson House, guests warmed up with cider while reenactors prepared for the ceremony across the river.
Although the water level in the Delaware was too low for boats to launch this year, the reenactment moved forward with the full ceremony. As in past years, John Godzieba portrayed General Washington—his fifteenth year in the role—and led the assembled troops through inspection before addressing them. Afterward, reenactors marched up through the crowds in full Continental and militia dress.
Demonstrations throughout the afternoon, including cannon firings and fife and drum performances, offered visitors a sense of the sounds and movement that would have surrounded Washington’s army in 1776. Along the banks, volunteers and reenactors interacted with spectators, and some troops received authentic meat pies prepared in advance by a participating cook who had spent several days making enough to share.
The Christmas Day event is part of the park’s annual commemoration of the Ten Crucial Days, the pivotal period beginning with Washington’s December 25–26 crossing and culminating in the Battle of Princeton. While the exact location and details of the original nighttime crossing remain matters of historical interpretation, the reenactment continues to serve as a reminder of the risky maneuver that helped revive the Revolutionary cause.
Even without the boats, hundreds of visitors crowded the bridge for a clear vantage point, while others gathered shoulder-to-shoulder along the riverbank to watch the troops form up and march. With the nation preparing to mark the 250th anniversary of its founding next year, the event carried added resonance for many who attended.
The Christmas Day crossing is free to the public and takes place annually from noon to 3 p.m., with the ceremonial crossing scheduled for 1 p.m. Though the ability to launch boats depends on river conditions, the park notes that ceremonies, speeches, and demonstrations proceed regardless. Additional Ten Crucial Days programming continues through Patriots Week in Trenton and into early January at Princeton Battlefield.
