This is cross-posted from the Szabo Forum, to inform this group's membership of something that may be of interest.
On Remembrance Day in Gettysburg, a friend handed me a flier with the cryptic remark: This may interest you...
Too busy at the time to read even a single sheet of paper, I stashed the flier in my carpetbag and kept on chugging along the route of the parade, capturing the images that many of you have already seen posted in my SmugMug.com website.
A couple of days after the weekend of frenzied activity ended, I reviewed the contents of my carpetbag and haversacks before putting the gear away. And there was the flier, once again staring me in the face.
"Reenactor Fest 3" trumpeted the black letters against the bright yellow paper.
It was an advertisement for "a convention for people interested in military history, as well as historical reenactrors of all time periods..."
And it is scheduled to take place at the Eisenhower Hotel, just outside of Gettysburg, PA on Biz. Rt. 15, from  Nov. 30-Dec. 2. That's this coming weekend.
In all honesty, the advertisement sounded interesting enough for me to contact the event organizers and request press credentials to photograph its activities. They agreed and assured me there would be a press pass waiting for me at the gate. And that is the sum total of our relationship, for I have no financial interest in this event, one way or another.
Nevertheless, I think that many members of the reenacting community, particularly those who are within a couple of hours' ride from Gettysburg, might find this event of enough interest to attend at least one day.
The program offers a ballroom full of military and historical vendors, including some of the most renowned names in the "business," such as Quartermaster Militaria, Bristol Renaissance Fair, Smoke and Fire Company, the Regimental Quartermaster, and many others.
They offer "live historical displays all day, every day."
They have scheduled historical seminars and guest speakers, as well as nightly parties including a Reenactor's Ball, with live music and entertainment.
The door admission is $15.00 for a one day pass, $20.00 for a two days pass, or $25.00 for a three day pass, while children under 12 get in for free.
For more information, check the organizers website, at: www.reenactorfest.com.
This weekend will be the third time the event is held. The first two times it took place in the Chicago area, where it goes back on Feb. 8-10, 2008. This is the very first time they hold the event in the Northeast.
Mike Bollow, who is the Director for the event, enthusiastically responded to my query for press credentials by observing: "Its everything from Civil War music bands (Battlefield Balladeers and the 2nd. South Carolina String Band) to bronze age warriors doing weapons demos." And he added: "Civil War debutantes dancing with Roman soldiers is a sight to see!"
I think it is definitely worth a look-see, considering that it is the very first time the event comes to the area of the country that has, perhaps, the largest concentration of active living historians in the entire world.
So look for the fellow in the white duster and the floppy brown hat, and be sure to say hello!
Julio

does sound like fun.. kiddos and i will be close as we will be in harpers ferry. not sure we will find time to stop in though.

Dulcie,
I'd dearly love to see you and private Kevin (and thy brood) in Gettysburg this weekend, for I think this weekend promises to be the kind of "fun thing" that the event organizers created specifically for the family unit.
And since all your children seem to be below the age-limit, I think that only you and hubby would have to pay the admission fee.
Please contact me privately at Jzangroniz@comcast.net in connection with the possibility of having one of the photographs of you that I took on Remembrance Day submitted to The Civil War News and/or Smoke & Fire News for possible publication. I need to clarify who is who in the image.
Thanks in advance.
Julio

What are the times for Friday and Sunday? Depending on that we may just make it for a bit. It will just be me and the kiddos though.  Sending you an email now.

Thanks, Dulcie, I received your e-mail and I have already sent you a private reply.
The public hours for Reenactors Fest at the Eisenhower Hotel on Saturday are 9-6 PM (though apparently it goes on a lot later for "participants" --and you'd have to be in period dress-- because they advertise "live entertainment" starting as of 8 PM). On Sunday, the public hours are 9 AM to 2 PM.
Hope that helps.
Julio

It must be nice living close to Gettysburg.  It would be fantastic to see something related to Reenactorfest closer to my area,of course haveing it in Gettysburg is more appropriate.
I have always said "Iam glad I am not on the East Coast,cause I would be at an event every weekend, or at a Battlefield."  My wife would not like that very much.  The "honey do" list would never get done.
I am just jealous,thats all

Thanks Julio.. not sure we will make it. I think we will be leaving later than that on Sunday.

Mr. Parault.. that tends to be the problem here, only its the wife dragging the hubby to the events.

Quote :

Julio C. Zangroniz wrote :  one of the photographs of you that I took on Remembrance Day Thanks in advance. Julio

On the first page of the photos that Julio took of Rememberence Day, there looks like there is a protest about a plaque going on.  Any one have more information on what that was all about?

i thought i read that as... plaque.. as in the stuff you get on your teeth and it was a dentist ad?

Greg,
This particular plaque business is a dispute between the Rosensteel family and the GNMP's administration. Originally, the family donated about 80,000 battle & other artifacts to start the park's CW museum. At least two plaques on display there made public the acknowledgement.
Now, the museum is about to be moved into a new building and apparently the park has decided it does not have the room to display the plaques in the same location/manner. Somewhat ironic, since the new museum facility is to be a lot larger and more modern. Instead, the administration had decided to place the plaques in a "research room" somewhere, where the family claims that they won't be seen by about 99 percent of the visitors.
There were about 15 protestors perched on one corner along the route of the parade. By sheer luck I got to speak with one of the Rosensteels themselves --he's the man holding two signs in one of my photographs.
The December issue of The Civil War News, which I just received on Nov. 27, has a very detailed account of the plaque controversy, beginning on Page One.
This is your Field Action Reporter, signing off...
Julio

If they donated 80,000 items to the collection, they should put the plaque(s) in a very conspicuous location, like a "Wall of Honor".

How soon we forget...

Exactly, Mr. Biederman.
That, in a nutshell, is the soul of the dispute at hand.
The Rosensteel family sees the park management as being extremely ungrateful, extremely ungracious, about the dispute regarding these two plaques, for it is likely that the world would not enjoy this collection of memorabilia of such a great battle to admire and study today were it not for the generosity of this family.
Let the record reflect that I am not in any way related or involved with either side of this dispute. I'm looking at it strictly as a casual observer/history buff peering from the the sidelines.
And in all honesty, I don't know the park's side, since I haven't spoken to anyone there, so they may have something worthwhile to add to the argument(s) we've seen thus far.
In any case, it is my belief that the National Park Service is making things a lot more difficult for itself, because who in their right mind will be convinced from now until the end of time that the right thing to do is to donate some artifacts --whether they are intrinsically or historically valuable or not-- if the donors cannot be assured that their act of generosity will be acknowledged publicly.
I think this philosophy is a lose-lose-lose situation: the donors won't be acknowledged and their artifacts, more than likely, will end up in a private situation where virtually NO  ONE will get to see them; the National Park Service loses because it won't have access to possibly valuable or significant artifacts; and you and I (the general public) will lose because we won't have the opportunity to see and study those historical objects.
In my opinion, someone, somewhere, needs to inject a dose of common sense into this controversy.
Just my opinion.
Julio