A blog about reenacting and living history.
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Events Calendar
Reenacting Events for 2023
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Brownsville Steam Show
Brownsville Steam Show The annual August National Pike Steam, Horse and Gas Show was held at the Association’s site near Brownsville, PA on the weekend of August 13 and 14, 2022. It is described as “A family friendly event demonstrating antique tractors ,trucks, cars, engines, construction equipment . HUGE flea market & craft areas in…
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Beverly Heritage Days
Beverly Heritage Days(July 23, 2022), a timeline event in North-Central West Virginia is in need of reenactors: Particularly WWII and Colonial period. 19th Century impressions are, of course welcome as well.
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Pricketts Fort Pre-1820s Primitive Trade Fair
Pricketts Fort will host its first Primitive trade fair on September 9-11, 2022. The organizers are looking for craftsmen to participate in the fair. Contact Greg Bray at 304-363-3030, Gary Tingler at 304-704-5892, or Joe Scott at 304-463-4397. Cost for vendors is $35.00. Non-Vendor camping is limited. Call 304-363-3030 for availability.
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Fort Frederick 18th Century Market Fair
The Fort Frederick Market Fair was held on April 21 to the 24 for the first time since 2019. The lapse, of course, was due to Covid restrictions. This is an event that nearly anyone who has ever attended will be addicted to. Linda and I attended as well as our friends, Ron and Debbie.
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School of the Longhunter 2022
On April 1st and 2nd, Linda and I attended the annual School of the Longhunter at Pricketts Fort near Fairmont, WV. (https://www.prickettsfort.org/) This a yearly symposium style event that provides expert speakers on various aspects of 18th Century life in this area as well as hands-on demonstrations of pioneer skills and other fun and informative…
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Schedule revision for Berwick in July
WWII- July 15-17, “Berwick WWII Weekend 2022, The Home of the Stuart Tank!! -Friday, Saturday, Sunday, July 15-17, -Riverfront Test Track Park, Berwick (South Eaton Street, Berwick, Pa.) Informal Public Hours 2 p.m – 5 p.m Friday 7/15 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Sunday Free Admission, -Set up starts Friday, 7/15, Early…
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Another New Event to the Schedule
Civil War – June 17-19, 2022. 160th Civil War Anniversary event. “Storm in the Ozarks”.Location: Jackson Farm Highway 117 Between Black Rock and Smithville Arkansas. Civilian Reenactor intense Weekend. Living History Encampment. Keynote Historian Presentations. Authentic Reenactment of the Skirmish on James McKinney Farm (Smithville Arkansas) Tactical/Unscripted Battle (Sunday). Excellent Location with water, handwashing station, baby…
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Additions to Events
Two additions to the events schedule: 18th Century – Labor Day weekend, Fort Henry Days, Oglebay Park, Wheeling, WV. http://forthenrydays.org/ 18th Century- October 14, 15 and 16. Fort Ligonier Days, Ligonier, PA. https://fortligonierdays.com/
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2022 events
All listed events are tentative pending Covid restrictions, government rulings, etc. Several events have not yet posted their schedules. February 2022 18th Century – February 25-27. Prickett’s Fort, Prickett’s Fort State Park, Fairmont, WV. 18th Century Firearms and Accoutrements Show. http://www.prickettsfortstatepark.com/events.html March 2022 Timeline – March ? No info at this time. Reenactor Appreciation Weekend, …
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Remember Pearl Harbor
USS West Virginia.
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Cedar Creek 2021
The weekend of October 16-17 saw the resumption of the reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek after a year off due to Covid. Linda and I joined the 7th Louisiana Co B. for the event. An old friend from “Gods and Generals,” Tony Morgan, was our commander.
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Fort Loudon Market Fair
On the weekend of June 25-27, the Fort Loudon Historical Society had their annual 18th Century market fair. I believe that this was the third such event for this group and was, by all accounts, the largest. This was due in no small part to the canceling of the much larger Fort Frederick event earlier…
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Book Review: Valley Forge
Valley Forge by Bob Drury and Tom Glavin is the story of Washington’s efforts to keep the Continental Army together during the winter of 1777-78, starting a few months earlier with the frustrating defeat at Brandywine Creek and concluding with the narrow American victory at Monmouth in June 1778. I picked this book up at…
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Fort Loudon Market Fair
On the weekend of June 25-27, the Fort Loudon Historical Society had their annual 18th Century market fair. I believe that this was the third such event for this group and was, by all accounts, the largest. This was due in no small part to the canceling of the much larger Fort Frederick event earlier…
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Simon Girty, Turncoat Hero -Book Review
I remember hearing about ‘Dirty Girty’ when I was in West Virginia History class in junior high school. The lasting impression is one of an unrepentant villain who turned on his countrymen and joined the enemy during the war for independence and took pleasure in helping savages torture and kill innocent people. In later years,…
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Memorial Day 2021
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Updated Events Schedule for 2021
All listed events are tentative pending Covid restrictions, government rulings, etc. February 2021 18th Century – February 26-27. Prickett’s Fort, Prickett’s Fort State Park, Fairmont, WV. 18th Century Firearms and Accoutrements Show. http://www.prickettsfortstatepark.com/events.html March 2021 Timeline – March ? No info at this time. Reenactor Appreciation Weekend, Gettysburg, PA. For information see: http://www.reenactorappreciationweekend.com/ Timeline –…
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School of the Longhunter
After a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic, Pricketts Fort, (near Fairmont, West Virginia) held its School of the Longhunter, which is largely a symposium on various aspects of life on the 18th century frontier. This year, due to ongoing restrictions, all aspects of the event were held outside of the visitors’ center in and…
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Events for 2021(?)
I know that I have been pretty quiet as of late. The situation with Covid restrictions has been tough to assess. They seem to be loosening up in some areas and some groups are finally starting to plan events. There are other questions that I have heard expressed by concerned reenactors. Will Cancel Culture put…
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Backyard Reenacting
We all know that this reenacting season has been pretty much a wash. Linda and I decided to regard this as a “rebuilding year” and just work on our impressions. In an effort to keep our skills sharp and see what needs repaired or improved, we have set aside an area in our backyard to…
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Memorial Day
Remember and honor.
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Book Review: Sacred Ties
I learned today that the Tidioute Remagen Bridge reenactment has been cancelled, although this may be partly because the organizers have heard that the Reading Airshow may be moved to that date. How everything shakes out remains to be seen. At least we have books to read. Book Review: Sacred Ties Sacred Ties by Tom…
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Book Review: Eye of the Storm
It isn’t exactly news at this point, but just about every event that I know about through June has been cancelled or postponed. Since we have no idea whether we will have much of a reenacting season, or whether we will have one at all, I will try to put in some historically related posts…
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Events: January to June 2020
This is what we have so far: January 2020 WWI – January 10-12, 2020: “Fortifying the Line” (Unit Sponsored Event) (Hosted by Fusilier Regiment 90). Time period: Early 1915. Event held at the Caesar Krauss Great War Memorial Site, Newville, PA. http://www.greatwarassociation.com/Schedule.html
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Cedar Creek 2019 From the Confederate side
The reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek was held over the weekend of October 19-20. Since I hadn’t fallen in with the Confederates at a larger event, I decided to do so this time. I have known Tony Morgan since the days of filming ‘Gods and Generals,’ and he was pleased to have us…
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Fort Ligonier Days
On the weekend of October 12-13, Ligonier, PA celebrates Fort Ligonier Days commemorating the 1758 siege of the British fort by French and Indian forces. My wife and I joined up with Les Compagnies Franches de la Marine du Contrecouer, which recreates one of the French Marine regiments garrisoned at Fort Duquesne. I as a…
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Fort Henry Days 2019
The Fort Henry Days celebration is held at Oglebay Park near Wheeling, WV every Labor Day weekend. The original Fort Henry, built in June 1774, was not erected by any specific plan or design, but was one of a number of similar forts built to protect settlers on the frontier in the middle years of…
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D-Day Reenactment, Conneaut Ohio 2019
D-Day Reenactment 2019 We have been less active this summer due to my wife having her arm broken when our new neighbor’s large dog attacked her. She was finally up to making it out to an event in August albeit with her arm in a sling. So, we journeyed up to Ohio for the reenactment…
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School of the Longhunter
The 25th Annual School of the Longhunter was held at Pricketts Fort, 88 State Park Road, Fairmont, WV 26554 As usual, the speakers were excellent and the event was worthy of it’s anniversary status.
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Memorial Day – Remember and Honor
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June Events
June 2019 18th Century – June 1&2, “for the Defence of this Province”: Artillery and Musketry. Fort Frederick, MD. http://www.friendsoffortfrederick.info/calendar.htm WWII – June 7-8-9, Reading Air Show, Reading Airport, Reading, PA. http://www.maam.org/maamwwii.html Civil War – June 8-9, Old Bedford Village, Bedford, PA. Civil War Reenactment of the Battle of Antietam. http://www.oldbedfordvillage.com/events.php WWII – June 7-9,…
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A Quick Overview of 2018
Here is a quick overview of events that we didn’t cover in individual articles. April 6-8. School of the Longhunter – Prickett’s Fort, near Fairmont, WV. This is a very informative seminar on life on the frontier in the 18th Century. Subjects can vary from an enlightening discussion on the life of Simon Girty to…
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This Year’s Coming Events
Here is what we have so far: January 2019 WWI – Jan 11-13, 2019: “The Calm Before the Storm”(Hosted by FR 90 (German). Time period: Winter 1917-18. Event held at the Caesar Krauss Great War Memorial Site, Newville, PA. http://www.greatwarassociation.com/Schedule.html
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Fort Henry Days 2018
On Sunday, September 2, we took part the reenactment of the 1777 siege of Fort Henry by Native American allies of the British. Scenarios alternated through the weekend as the Saturday battle featured the 1792 attack by natives as well as British regulars and Loyalists. Sunday’s battle reenacted the 1777 event, in which the attackers…
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Brownsville Steam Show 2018
On the weekend August 11-12, 2018, we and other members of the 28th Infantry, Co. K (reenacted) , set up a WWII living history camp at the National Pike Steam,Gas and Horse Association show at the Association’s property off Rt. 40 outside of Brownsville, PA.
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Remagen Event 2018
On the weekend f August 4-5, we took part in the WWII reenactment of the taking of the Ludendorff Bridge, recalled in Ken Hechler’s book, “The Bridge at Remagen,” which was in early March 1945. It was one of two remaining bridges across the river Rhine in Germany when it was captured during the Battle of Remagen by United States Army forces during…
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GAP 2018
This year the Battle of the Bulge Reenactment at Fort Indiantown Gap was held a week later than usual – from January 31 to February 4th. The weather for the event was predictably cold, but there was no snow to speak of. We spent most of our time portraying German volunteers and Volkssturm in charge…
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Recap of (Most) of 2017
This past year has been an interesting one to say the least. Here is a recap of what we have done since April. We attended the Lantern tour at the Grafton National Cemetery in Grafton which contains 2100 internments, including 1252 Civil War soldiers. I delivered General Black Jack Logan’s address of May 5, 1868 to…
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Initial 2018 Calendar of events
Here is what we have so far for the coming year through April. January 2018 WWI – Jan 12-14, 2018: “Bathelémont: Baptism of Fire”(Hosted by FR 90 (German) and the 18th RI (French)). Time period: November 1917. Event held at the Caesar Krauss Great War Memorial Site, Newville, PA. http://www.greatwarassociation.com/Schedule.html WWII – Battle of the…
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Hacked
Our site was recently hacked and an unauthorized person posted an article on it. Apologies to all about this. Editor
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Addition to Events Calendar
Here is a last minute addition to the events calendar that I just got around to adding. Sounds interesting. 18th Century – October 28-29, 18th Century Scottish festival. Campbellton Landing, Fayetteville, NC. https://www.caledonianfest.com/
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Fort Frederick Market Fair 2017
One of my favorite events is the Fort Frederick Market Fair. This event held annually at Fort Frederick State Park. This is a Maryland state park surrounding the restored Fort Frederick, a star fort active in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. The market fair is a combination reenactor’s shopping mall…
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School of the Longhunter 2017
April brings showers and on April 6-8 of this year, it also brought the School of the Longhunter which takes place at Prickett’s Fort near Fairmont, WV on an annual basis. This encampment/symposium is an interesting and informative event with a lot to offer for the Colonial era reenactor/living historian. This year’s presentations included talks…
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GAP – Battle of the Bulge Reenactment 2017
This annual reenactment/living history event was held from January 25 through the 28th at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. As usual, it was a great opportunity to see some outstanding impressions, visit with old friends and shop at the many vendors who came to sell their wares at the event. As usual, we assisted at…