A soldier suddenly appeared out of the thick fog. As he passed me on the sidewalk, he nodded and I shivered at the seemingly ghostly apparition. He wore a Belgian Army uniform from World War II – a dark green wool coat that ended at his leather knee-high boots and a beret. When I turned around to grab a photo, he had nearly disappeared back into the fog, walking out of the village toward the old battlefield.

After walking another lonely block into the village of Bastogne, night had set in and the fog started producing more spirits from the past. A clutch of American World War II solders gathered on a street corner, talking and laughing. An old Army-green Jeep was parked along the sidewalk, the words “Military Police” stamped in white across the front.

On any other weekend, I would have been scared out of my mind, sure that these 81-year-old ghosts materialized from the mysterious fog. However, this was December 12: the first day of a celebration officially and affectionately called Nuts Weekend. Reenactors mingled easily with the rest of us modern folks there to take part in the festivities.

Every year, in mid-December, the town of Bastogne celebrates the fact that U.S. Brigadier General McAuliffe refused to surrender to German forces who had lay siege around them as part of the greater Battle of the Bulge.

On Dec. 22, 1944, McAuliffe, commander of the 101st Airborne Division, received an official written correspondence from the German commander. It was an ultimatum requesting their honorable surrender within two hours, claiming that a refusal would mean “total annihilation” of Bastogne. McAuliffe wasn’t about to give in and replied with:

“To the German Commander:

NUTS!

The American Commander”

After some verbal translations, the German couriers understood the true meaning and returned across enemy lines to deliver the message that the Americans were not going to surrender. Fierce fighting continued as the weather impeded Allied resupply aircraft. Finally, on Dec. 26, 1944, General Patton’s Third Army broke through siege lines.

The Battle of the Bulge continued in Bastogne and across the Ardennes for weeks until Jan. 25, 1945, when the German army was pushed back to its pre-offensive posture. It was the largest World War II battle for U.S. forces, with immense casualties on both sides.

The failed German offensive marked a turning point with catastrophic losses that prevented the German army from being able to defend against Allied advances and leading to the end of the war in Europe four months later.

A visit to Bastogne on any day can provide an in-depth look back at this memorable event. There are three organizations with unique museums dedicated to World War II heritage, the 101st Airborne Museum, the Bastogne Barracks and the Bastogne War Museum. This last organization has three individual locations – one is adjacent to the Battle of Bulge Monument on Mardasson Hill just two kilometers outside of town. It was from there that I found myself encountering ghosts of the past as I walked through the fog on Nuts Weekend.

During the three days of Nuts Weekend, each of the museums in town has special events. There are book signings, veteran visits and markets with vendors.

Reenactors fill the streets as they build camps at both the Barracks in town and out at the War Museum. Camps include Allied forces and German forces, giving visitors the unique opportunity to compare the two.

On Saturday of Nuts Weekend, the highlight of the city-wide celebration is a recognition of veterans in the town square followed by a parade that includes a band, veteran group representative, youth groups and current active-duty members of the 101st Airborne.

The parade ends at the memorial to General McAuliffe, but most folks return to the main street to wait out front of City Hall until local dignitaries and veterans begin tossing walnuts to the crowd.

Most attendees and participants in Nuts Weekend were local and spoke French. Though English was spoken widely by staff members, few reenactors (including the American forces) spoke English. The experience left me with a renewed appreciation for the impact that the U.S. forces of World War II had on the people of Europe – so much so that they are remembered and memorialized as the subject of reenactment 81 years later.

McAuliffe’s “NUTS” reply and refusal to surrender not only saved Bastogne from German occupation but gave the town a new identity. Claiming the title of “Nuts City,” the citizens of Bastogne continue to honor the sacrifices made during World War II.

The next Nuts Weekend will take place Dec. 11-13, 2026.

For Nuts Weekend, I recommend booking a hotel in downtown Bastogne from Friday to Sunday. The weekend is well attended, but not overly crowded. However, Bastogne is a small town and parking is an issue. I parked out at the Bastogne War Museum and walked along the well-marked, paved multi-use trail through the spooky fog into town. It was a pleasant two-kilometer jaunt past monuments, the city gate and through the local Christmas market to my hotel on main street.

Festivals

History