2025 Annual Burning of the Ships Commemoration

Every year, the second Saturday in May, the Sailing Masters hosts the “Burning of the Ships” commemoration. This is a “mini-muster” to which the Corps invites area fife and drum corps to participate. The Grand parade will start at 2:00 p.m. at the Essex Town Hall and end head down Main Street to the CT River Museum. Following the parade there will be a short ceremony and each fife and drum corps will play!

This commemoration is in remembrance of the burning of the fleet in Essex Harbor in April of 1814. Essex was widely known for building privateer ships to harass the British fleet during the War of 1812. In April of 1814 the British rowed up the Connecticut River in the cloak of darkness and burned all the ships, cordage and sail lofts in the village. This was a devastating blow to the War effort. It became the largest naval loss the Country had experienced until the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After this disastrous event, the town of Essex rebuilt the shipyard and eventually produced more ships than before the Raid. We come together every year to remember the loss but to also celebrate the tremendous recovery made by the town of Essex.