Defender's Day in Havre De Grace Set For May 1

Havre De Grace, MD—The city has announced it will host a Defender's Day celebration on May 1 at Concord Point Park. The event will last from 2 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and end with a fireworks show after dark. If it rains, festivities will be postponed until May 2.

Defender's Day celebrates the life of John O'Neill, who courageously defended the city during the British raid of Havre de Grace in the War of 1812. The raid actually took place on May 3, 1813.

The 2021 festival will include a variety of food trucks and a beer and alcohol garden, which will raise money for organizations like Celebrate the Fourth Foundation and the Committee of Community Projects of Havre de Grace, Inc.

At the event, the Havre de Grace Arts Collective is presenting a program called "Dawn's Early Light," which features true stories from the 1813 British attack on the town.

There also will be live music, with No Boundaries and 80's tribute band New Romance scheduled to perform.