Cedar Creek, Va., battle reenactment set for Oct. 17-18
The natural contour of the land creates a perfect theater setting for visitors who stand or sit along a gentle rise that overlooks the battlefield. On the opposite side of the battlefield is the Belle Grove Plantation manor house, itself a survivor of the battle and which had served as officers’ quarters and a hospital during the war. Tours of the mansion are a part of the weekend activities, as are talks by National Park Service rangers outside on the lawn.
Saturday, Oct. 17 is the big day, with events scheduled from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., including artillery, infantry and cavalry demonstrations in the morning followed by the battle reenactment at 3 p.m. During that same period, lectures are scheduled in the symposium tent about Cedar Creek as well as other nearby battles. In the evening, a candlelight tour of the soldiers’ camp and a nighttime firing demonstration will be offered.
In the historic settlement of Middletown, about a mile north of the battlefield, the main street will be lit with luminaries at 6:30 p.m. to honor those who died during battle.
Advertisement
On Sunday, the day begins with a Catholic Mass and a nondenominational gospel service followed by an artillery demonstration at noon and a second battle reenactment at 1 p.m. Several presentations are planned in the symposium tent.
Daily admission fees for the reenactment are $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 7 to 17. Those who are 65 or older and retired or active military members and children under six will be admitted free.
The Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park was created in 2002 and is the country’s first national park with private organizations as partners. They are the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation, which owns the battlefield, Belle Grove, Inc., the National Trust for Historic Preservation which owns Belle Grove and the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation, a non-profit that is responsible for managing the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLumw9Jon6ito5p6pbXVopuenF%2BsvXB%2Bj2psaGlgZH52e8Kem5qqXZi%2FprHKZq2aZZKWwbW4xGapnp2elrC1ucSnq2arlal6p7vRZqacrF1mhG59l2g%3D