The 2023 Freedom Festival will bring history to life this weekend at John Brown Memorial Park in Osawatomie. The two-day event will take place Saturday and Sunday, September 15th and 16th. Freedom Festival will feature reenactments of the Battle of Osawatomie and other reenactments from the pre-Civil War period. Several speakers will present talks about this historically significant time for Osawatomie and the surrounding region, including Mary Buster, the great-great-granddaughter of John Brown’s half-sister Florella Brown Adair, who will discuss family history that cannot be found in history books. Buster also will give tours of the Adair Cabin during the festival.
Osawatomie is currently seeking National Park status for the John Brown Cabin and Museum. Assistant City Manager, Sam Moon says that events leading up to Harpers Ferry started in Osawatomie, and without John Brown, there would be no Harpers Ferry. The city is in the initial stages of talks with the National Park Service.
