NUTS WEEKEND 2024
The Nuts Weekend takes place on 13, 14 and 15th of December 2024 in the Bastogne War Museum, the Bastogne War Rooms and the Battlefield Bois Jacques.
For the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the Bastogne War Museum welcomes you to commemorate the sacrifices made by the men and women who fought for our freedom.
! FREE ACTIVITIES WITHOUT RESERVATION IN THE BASTOGNE WAR MUSEUM !
American and German military reenactment camps, flight over the Mardasson by vintage fighter planes, meet & greet with war veterans, signing sessions with actors from the series "Band of Brothers" and "Masters of the Air", workshops on code-breaking and reading of military maps, conferences, concerts, bar and catering, and many other surprises...
Follow us on our Facebook event.
Other free activities in the whole City of Bastogne.
FRIDAY 13/12/2024 @ BASTOGNE WAR MUSEUM
- 9.00 am - 7.00 pm | Opening hours of the three Museum sites (shop and Bistrot de la Paix included)
- Afternoon | Opening of the Reenactment Camp (period American and German military camps)
- Presence of an American glider "Waco" (25m wingspan) and demonstration of loading and unloading of jeep "Willy's"
- 6.30 pm - 8.00 pm | Concert by the group “Madeeson & Co” in the Reenactment Camp
SATURDAY 14/12/2024 @ BASTOGNE WAR MUSEUM
- 9.00 am - 7.00 pm | Opening hours of the three Museum sites (shop and Bistrot de la Paix included)
- 1.00 pm - 4.00 pm | Signing sessions with 2 actors from “Band of Brothers" serie (Matthew Leitch & Lucie Jeanne) & 2 actors from “Masters of the Air” serie (Josh Bolt, Jonas Moore & Ian Dunnett Jr)
- ! Paying activity !
- From 1.00 pm | Testimonies from Belgian veterans and a concentration camp survivor ("The Jackets")
- André Liégeois, 99 years old
- Julien Nyssens, 101 years old
- Anne Megens, 100 years old on the 12th of December / survivor of the Ravensbrück concentration camp
- Robert Chot, 102 years old
- Thierry Coppieters't Wallant, 99 years old
- 6.30 pm & 9.00 pm | 2 shows at the Mardasson of a show directed by Luc Petit "Texas Aggies : into the battlefield" (organization of the City of Bastogne and the Tourist office of Bastogne)
- Musical entertainment by the "Dixie Boys Band" orchestra between the shows
During the day | Flight over the Mardasson by vintage planes (activity still uncertain and dependent on weather conditions)
All day | Workshops on code-breaking (with an “Enigma” machine), map-reading, radio transmissions, war models, etc
All day | Signing sessions by Battle of the Bulge authors (Aurélien Baudoin, Isabelle Engels, Willy Boghe, Philippe Carrozza, Jean-Michel Delvaux, Jean-Christophe Dubuisson, Célia Ducaju, Christian Dujardin, Patrick Fissot, Philippe Gruslin, Philippe Guillemot, Martin King, Jean-Paul Marthoz, Roger Marquet, Céline Pieters, Harold Williamson and Hugues Wenkin)
All day | Lectures by authors and historians of the Battle of the Bulge
- 9:00 - 10:00 : Aurélien Baudoin & Patrick Fissot
- 10:00 - 11:00 : Martin King
- 11:00 - 12:00 : Christian Dujardin
- 13:00 - 14:00 : Hugues Wenkin
- 14:00 - 15:00 : Jean-Paul Marthoz
- 15:00 - 16:00 : Philippe Guillemot
- 16:00 - 17:00 : Jean-Christophe Dubuisson
All day | Presentation of unusual objects and his model by influencer Zoran, age 12
All day | Activities in the Reenactment Camp (period American and German military camps)
Presence of an American glider "Waco" (25m wingspan) and demonstration of loading and unloading of jeep "Willy's"
Over 150 American and German military figures
Exhibitions of period military equipment, tents and vehicles
Identification checks
Drill exercises
Blank firing
Catering and bar in a heated marquee
Liberation Festival Pilsen 2025” and "Stars & Strips" presentations
All day | Concerts in the Reenactment Camp
10.00 am - 6.00 pm: “Piper's Phil”, bagpipe player, strolls around the site
12.30 - 1.30 pm: 40-piece orchestra (former Dutch military)
10.30 am - 11.15 am en 12.15 - 1.00 pm: period musical interludes by “Mam'zèle Pauline"
12.00 - 4.30 pm: pipe band "Blue Stone Pipes and Drums" (7 bagpipes, 2 drums and 1 bass)
- 4.30 - 6.00 pm: concert by the group "Les Marie-Claire"
SunDAY 15/12/2024 @ BASTOGNE WAR MUSEUM
- 9.00 am - 7.00 pm | Opening hours of the three Museum sites (shop and Bistrot de la Paix included)
- 10.30 am - 12.30 | Signing sessions with 2 actors from “Band of Brothers" serie (Shane Taylor & Robin Laing) & historian John McManus ("Alamo in the Ardennes)
- 10.30 am | Book Signing with Author Andrew Biggio ‘The Rifle’ with five veterans (one object to be signed per person)
- Jack Moran (87th Infantry Division)
- Ed Cottrell (9th Air Force)
- Andrews Bostinto (26th Division)
- Lester Schrenk (8th Air Force)
- Louis Brown (4036 Quarter Master Trucking, Company A)
- 3.00 pm | Meet & Greet with American veterans, actor and produceur from "Band of Brothers" serie followed by a signing session ("Walk Among Heroes" and "Best Defence Foundation")
- Dennis Boldt, 99
- Reid Clanton, 100, 84th Infantry Division
- Donald S. Sloane, World War Two veteran (Military Police)
- George Mullins, 101st Airborne Division
- Joseph Picard, 552nd Field Artillery Battalion
- Fred Nungesser, 84th Infantry Division
- Jack Foy, 87th Infantry Divion
- Alex Sabga-Brady ('Frank Mellett' from the serie "Band of Brothers")
- Ivan Schwarz (producer from the serie "Band of Brothers")
- At 4.00pm | Chester "Buck" Sloan, 2nd Infantry Division
- During the day | Flight over the Mardasson by vintage planes (activity still uncertain and dependent on weather conditions)
All day | Workshops on code-breaking (with an “Enigma” machine), map-reading, radio transmissions, war models, etc
All day | Signing sessions by Battle of the Bulge authors (Willy Boghe, Philippe Gruslin, Harold Williamson, Jean-Michel Delvaux, Xavier Van Daele, Christian Dujardin, Hugues Wenkin, Isabelle Engels, Claude Lacroix, William Hogan and Philippe Carrozza)
All day | Lectures by authors and historians of the Battle of the Bulge
- 9:00 - 10:00 : Christian Dujardin
- 10:00 - 11:00 : Xavier Van Daele
- 11:00 - 12:00 : Patrick Hilgers
- 13:00 - 14:00 : Willy Boghe
- 14:00 - 15:00 : Eric Kersch
- 15:00 - 16:00 : Edmond Kern
- 16:00 - 17:00 : Isabelle Engels et Claude Lacroix
All day | Presentation of unusual objects and his model by influencer Zoran, age 12
All day | Activities in the Reenactment Camp (period American and German military camps)
Presence of an American glider "Waco" (25m wingspan) and demonstration of loading and unloading of jeep "Willy's"
Over 150 American and German military figures
Exhibitions of period military equipment, tents and vehicles
Identification checks
Drill exercises
Blank firing
Catering and bar in a heated marquee
Liberation Festival Pilsen 2025” and "Stars & Strips" presentations
All day | Concerts in the Reenactment Camp
10.00 am - 1.00 pm: “Piper's Phil”, bagpipe player, strolls around the site
- 11.00 am - 1.00 pm : concert by “Thierry & le Billabrac” (accordion & percussion player)
13/12/2024 - 14/12/2024 - 15/12/2024 @ BASTOGNE WAR ROOMS
- 9.00 am - 7.00 pm | Opening hours of the three Museum sites (shop included)
All day | Period American Headquarters activities in the heart of the McAuliffe cellars
Over 60 American military figures
Exhibitions of period military equipment, tents and vehicles
- Aid's Station
Secret service station
Role and demonstration of the Military Police and radio communication
All day | Workshops in the Museum on civilian life and acts of the Resistance
- All day | Display of “Monopoly - The Ardennes” game
- All day | Bar & catering
13/12/2024 - 14/12/2024 - 15/12/2024 @ BAttlefield bois jacques
- 9.00 am - 7.00 pm | Opening hours of the three Museum sites
All day | Guided tour by “Bastogne Memorial” guides
other activities in bastogne
- Activities in Bastogne and its museums
- 1:30 pm @ L'Orangerie | Presentation of the “Behind the Curtain” exhibition and round-table discussion on the challenges of memory and re-enactment, with the presence of historians, sociologists and representatives of the “Re-enactment” movement