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Boston Globe

Listen, my children . . . After 250 years, Paul Revere rides again in Boston

This time around, however, more than a thousand spectators trailed Revere up the steps at City Square where he mounted a borrowed horse and thundered down Main Street — cloak billowing — to warn the minutemen that 'the regulars are coming.' Advertisement 'Tonight was amazing, absolutely fantastic,' said Eve Dougherty, a Charlestown resident, costumed in a white, ribbon-tied wig in the spirit of the celebration. '[And] It felt important for these times. It's about remembering where we started, about freedom and democracy.' Revolutionary reenactors Otto McGann, left, and Jayden Song hold a flag bearing the Lexington Minutemen insignia during commemorative events in Boston's North End on Friday, ahead of the 250th reenactment of Paul Revere's midnight ride. Erin Clark/Globe Staff The night was alive with revolutionary spirit. A shimmering drone show lit up the sky above Boston Harborwalk at Langone Park, where spectators gathered to await Revere's crossing. Members of the William Diamond Junior Fife and Drum Corps played colonial music. Drones light up the Charles River Friday night as Paul Revere arrived in Charlestown after arriving by boat before starting his legendary ride. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Revere's crossing of the Charles is reenacted annually, but this year's heightened festivities brought out more Revere revelers than ever, said Tom Coots of the Charlestown Militia, He portrayed Deacon Larkin, who lent his horse to Revere, in the yearly event and reprised the role again Friday. Advertisement 'Usually, people don't come on this side,' Coots said. 'They're over by the Old North Church.' Paul Revere crossing the Charles river by boat Friday before undertaking his legendary midnight ride. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Earlier in the night, onlookers were packed shoulder to shoulder, in front of the Paul Revere House in the North End, spilling onto North Street and into Rachel Revere Square. Some wore tricorn hats, while a long, winding line of people waited to bid Revere an energetic farewell. Inside the small wooden home, Revere explained his plan: light two lanterns in Christ Church (now Old North Church), the signal that British forces were advancing toward Lexington and Concord 'by sea.' Next, he would ride out of the city with Members of the William Diamond Junior Fife & Drum Corps perform in colonial attire outside the historic Paul Revere House in Boston's North End on Friday to mark the 250th anniversary of his ride to Concord/Lexington. Erin Clark/Globe Staff 'It will not be any solitary rider who will accomplish anything tonight,' Paul told the crowd, acknowledging how Longfellow's But Revere's fame is what makes the night, said Delia Athey, visiting from Arizona. Athey said she has had the Longfellow poem memorized since 'the eighth grade.' 'I recite it every year on the 18th of April, so I had to be here for this,' she said. 'I'm looking forward to following him to the water, and going across the bridge to be there when he gets to Charlestown.' Mayor Michelle Wu made multiple appearances throughout the night: first, at a special lantern service at Old North Church, where she reflected on Revere's 'refusal to fail.' 'Tonight, I'm grateful for our continued belief in each other and our refusal to fail,' she said. 'May we always be a beacon of hope for the world and our nation, and may our faith guide us forward. Freedom is worth fighting for, and the fight has arrived.' Advertisement Nearby, at Paul Revere Mall, Wu again spoke, at twilight, beneath trees strung with lights. 'I want to be clear, this is not about reflecting on some fixed point long ago — 250 is an impressive number,' she said. 'But what we're celebrating is not the kind of history that gathers dust on shelves… 'Revolution wasn't just something we started,' she said. 'It's how we've lived every day of the last two and a half centuries.' When Revere finally slipped away from his home at about 8 pm to make his way toward the waterfront, a huge crowd surged after him. Some chanted his name: 'Paul! Paul! Paul!' Lanterns twinkled in the crowd. A hand surfaced from the throng of people, waving a tricorn hat in celebration. Spectators held lanterns as they cheered during the Paul Revere midnight ride reenactment in Boston's North End Friday night. Erin Clark/Globe Staff 'I knew there were going to be a lot [of people],' said Mark Tyler of Cleveland, Ohio, decked out in a colonial ruffled blouse and tricorn hat. 'But I didn't realize there would be this much.' Tyler is a member of the sons of the American Revolution, so tonight's reenactment was 'a huge event for us,' he said. 'It's incredible.' A police motorcycles escorted a Paul Revere reenactor during the midnight ride commemoration through Boston's North End Friday evening. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Rita Chandler can be reached at