American towns as far afield as Brooksville, Fla., and Yale, Okla., have annual Civil War reenactments. The Revolutionary War gets recreated yearly in Lexington and Concord, Burlington, N.C. and Vincennes, Ind.

But if you want to relive the War of 1812, one of the best reenactments happens in Riverdale Park.

From noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 11, the Riversdale House Museum at 4811 Riverdale Road will host the annual Battle of Bladensburg Encampment, commemorating “the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms,” a defeat that allowed British troops to advance on Washington, where they burned the White House.

The event includes reenactments from Ships Company, Aisquith’s Sharp Shooters, the Frederick County Militia and Barney’s Flotilla as well as hands-on demonstrations, children’s activities and tours of the historic mansion. (The event is free, but tours are $3 and snacks are available for purchase.)

This year, the museum will also unveil the restoration of a cannon brought to Maryland in 1634 by the colonists who founded St. Mary’s City, the first colonial settlement.

For most Americans, the War of 1812 is best remembered for inspiring the “Star-Spangled Banner” and the burning of Washington by British troops (although even that is shaky).

That may be because it’s not associated with a more dynamic president, it was fought for obscure reasons as part of a complicated series of European conflicts, it led to no real changes (the war is often cited as an example of one ending “status quo ante bellum”) and because it was not the U.S. military’s finest hour (our greatest victory came after the war had technically ended).

But battle reenactments can be a fun way to literally make history come alive, and the Battle of Bladensburg is a good way to do that for the early days of American democracy.