King William III emerged victorious from a sword fight with King James II amid a hail of blank gunfire while a family of Canadian tourists tried to capture the action on a high-tech camcorder.
The annual parade of the Armagh Royal Black Preceptories again attracted tens of thousands to the fields at Scarva for 13th of July commemorations yesterday.
"This is such a unique event, it is really wonderful," said Kim Scott, an artist on holidays from Canada with her children in Portadown, seven miles away.
A highlight of the marching season, Scarva is a kind of Glastonbury for Protestants - all tents, picnics, quirky street stalls and of course thumping music.
The latter was provided by an endless line of pipe, drum and accordion bands while gospel tunes a la Cliff Richard blared from a lorry in the field.
The Sham Fight, as it is called, recalls the battle between the celebrated enemies who fought at the Boyne and is the high point of the day.
It takes place just yards from a huge tree where King William III is said to have tied his horse on his way to the battle.
The speeches from the platform were more religious than political.
"A mobile phone has been handed in," announced someone from the stage in one of several more light-hearted moments. "It's an orange one but I don't know if that is significant."
Hungry marchers munched ham sandwiches and buns in tents nearby. "Tell your readers we don't all have two heads," pleaded one.
Whole families sat in garden chairs at the sides of a narrow road while those who accidentally blocked the marchers' route received gentle prodding with the Blackmen's ceremonial swords.
The Blackmen were immaculately dressed, complete with crisp white gloves and chrysanthemums in their bowlers.
A group of teenagers from Newry had settled for the day in a sloping wooded area with a perfect view of the parade.
They busied themselves with a more unorthodox 13th of July tradition - planting a large branch in the ground, on to which they hung their empty beer cans. It's called a tinny tree in these parts, explained Lorna (24) and Andree (22) from Bessbrook, who sat together drinking a mix of vodka and Irn Bru on the other side of the lane.
Andree's boyfriend was marching in one of the bands and this was one of many parades she had attended since Easter. "This is a great day but I'll be glad when the marching season is over," she said wearily.
It was a short journey for the Portadown brethren who set off early in the morning from Carleton Street Orange Hall. "I wouldn't miss it for anything," said one man who turns up each year to carry a banner.