Well I thought I would help out my friends here in California and promote the Moorpark reenactment. I thought my friends back East might enjoy reading about how it's done over here. This is our early email flier.
"My fellow reenactors,
It is that time of year to start thinking and planning again for Southern
California's grandest Civil War reenactment, "The Blue and the Gray," in Moorpark
on November 4th and 5th!
On behalf of the Moorpark Rotary Club and the Richmond Howitzers, your unit
hosts, I would like to invite you all once again to this wonderful event.
Last year's record attendance approaching 650 actual combatants on the field [plus 19 artillery pieces!]
and approximately 8,500 spectators has only encouraged us to try to do even
better this year! Despite close calls with rain in past years, spectator
attendance has always continued to climb each year, and we certainly want to keep it
that way.
It seems that every year we are able to ratchet up the quality of different
aspects of the event, and this year, we will do our very best to continue this
tradition.
This year's theme is "Gettysburg1" We haven't determined exactly which parts
of the battle will be portrayed yet except for "Pickett's Charge" and "Culp's
Hill." "Culp's Hill" will be the twilight battle, the awesome engagement that
has become one of the hallmarks of the Moorpark event, and a battle, the likes
of which, that takes place nowhere else. By using a Culp's Hill scenario this
year, the Federals will be defending and the Confederates will be attacking.
Current plans are to expand the night battle considerably beyond anything
we've experienced for the last two years. After November, you may be able to find
"adrenaline rush" in the dictionary under the entry for "Culp's Hill!"
The very successful school program on Friday, November 3rd, will continue.
This year, the program will be limited to schoolchildren from the Moorpark
school district due to the numbers involved. For those of you who would like to
come out and participate in the Living History program, you can expect about 1000
school kids to be there.
Last year, the Moorpark event easily lay claim to having the greatest amount
of sutlers west of the Rockies (maybe west of the Mississippi?). This year
will likely see a repeat. Sutlers, if you haven't already made arrangements for
reserving space, please contact me. If you have already made arrangements,
please contact me again. I need to set up a separate sutler email address list so
as to be able to get information to you without having to send out a message
to my entire reenactor email list.
Of course, the traditional Saturday night dance with the fine music of the
Fort Tejon Heritage Players will be free for all reenactors. The Rotary Club
will once again offer its very popular low-cost supper for those who purchase a
meal ticket early in the day. More details about this will come later.
Expect the Grand Review to precede the first battle each day. The Review was
a big hit with the public last year!
In order to help publicize the event, we will have an entry in the Simi
Valley Days Parade on September 16 and in the Moorpark Country Days Parade on
October 7. Your participation in the parades is heartily encouraged and it will be
greatly appreciated by the Rotary Club.
One of the big factors in the success of the event is the pre-event publicity
effort that takes place in the weeks and months before the event. All
indications are that news concerning the event will be disseminated even more broadly
this year, and we expect excellent results.
Arrival anytime Friday is permitted for those participating in the school
program that starts at mid-morning. Arrival after noon is permitted for all
others.
Hay and firewood, as usual, will be provided. Only above ground fires will be
permitted on the grassy lawn and in the walnut grove.
Because we are always looking to improve things and make the event run
smoother, we will conduct a separate safety briefing for each side this year, and
thereby help make this important matter proceed more quickly and smoothly.
Parking areas will be changed this year. Earlier arrivals will be able to
park beyond the hill with the real barn to the east of the battlefield. Later
arrivals will need to park in areas off Read Road. Directions will be posted.
Regardless of what you may have heard, parking space will be adequate for
everyone!
Bad weather is an ever present risk in early November. If the weather turns
against us and we are rained out, as usual, our rain date for the event is the
following weekend, November 11 and 12.
Remember, all proceeds from this event go to the Rotary Club's many worthy
charities. You will be "doing good while having fun."
Please pass on this email to your reenactor friends who may not otherwise
receive it. For other information, go to
We're going to have a spectacular event this year! I hope that you are
already making plans to join us!
Ed Mann"
________________________
David Upton