The U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division Band marches into Oswego on Saturday, Sept. 2 for a concert honoring Dr. Mary Walker. The event begins at 7 p.m. at Fort Ontario State Historic Site, 1 E. Fourth St., Oswego. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and admission is free.

Based out of Fort Drum, just north of Watertown, N.Y., this patriotic ensemble thrills audiences with a wide variety of musical configurations and styles. Enhancing the experience is the natural acoustics of Fort Ontario itself.

The concert celebrates the re-naming of Virginia’s Fort A.P. Hill to Fort Walker. The re-designation honors Dr. Mary Walker – Oswego native, Civil War Army surgeon and the only female recipient of the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor.

Concert seating is not provided, and audience members are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets. The fort provides ample room on the parade grounds and ramparts for people to enjoy the concert with a Lake Ontario sunset in the background.

Parking is free and plentiful. For the sake of everyone’s enjoyment of the concert, attendees are asked to please leave their dogs and other pets at home. 

For more information about the event, contact Fort Ontario State Historic Site Manager Paul Lear at 315-343-4711 or paul.lear@parks.ny.gov.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more – which are all visited by 78 million people every year. 

For more information on any of these recreation areas visit www.parks.ny.gov, download the free NYS Parks Explorer mobile app or call 518-474-0456. Visitors can also connect on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

U.S. ARMY CELEBRATES DR. MARY WALKER – Fort Ontario State Historic Site hosts a concert with the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division Band in honor of Dr. Mary Walker – Oswego native, Civil War Army surgeon and the only female recipient of the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor. The event begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2 at the fort on the north end of E. Fourth Street in Oswego. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and admission is free. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Fort Drum 10th Mountain Division.