Paranormal activity or childish imagination? Ghost, time traveller, or lost performer?

I’m going to start a debate where I will convey all possibilities, their pros and cons. And then you will be in charge of deciding which of these possibilities is true. This story is about two childhood friends who, on a special historical anniversary, saw a guy dressed as if he were from the 18th century and then disappeared in front of their eyes. There are three theories: the one the writer of the story has, the one his friend has, and the most rational one. Which one do you believe?

The writer of this story argues that what they saw was a ghost or some kind of spectre. His reasoning lies in the fact that this was on the 4th of July, a really important day, especially to their town. The guy was dressed as if he was from the 18th century, which would mean that he would have already passed away in the 20th century, so making him a ghost makes sense. He believes he appeared and was frightened by the two living kids. And that his appearance is tied to the anniversary taking place. As if he had been in that place during the 1700s.

The friend isn’t completely against the writer’s theories. But he thinks that his theory is better. He believes that this man was a time traveller from the 18th century. He argues that he disappeared because he got scared due to not understanding whether the two kids were out of place or he was. This theory is also supported by the writer. It seems plausible for both of them. They say that a time traveller fits their story.

Lastly, we have the rational theory. This was a performer who was doing some kind of show to resemble the 18th century to celebrate the anniversary. The man went into the woods because he got lost, and then he saw the kids. He realized that it wasn’t his place to be. So he turned around and left. The kids had a big imagination and made the story more interesting. To this day, they do not remember that they made up the part where the man disappeared. So what do you think? Which of these theories is the true one?