Reenacting

One of the biggest attractions to our sport is for the reenactors. In the past decade we have seen the reenactors numbers double. If projections are correct the numbers will double again within the next 5 years.
Virtually every major skirmish is now being reenacted. Everything from the Revolutionary War through the OK Corral has reenactors involved. Even mountain man rendezvous has them. The time periods for these are; Revolutionary war 1775-1783, Mountain Man Rendezvous 1800-1840, War of 1812, Civil War 1860-1865, Little Big Horn 1876, and the OK Corral 1882.
By far the most reenacted event in the world is the Civil War. England, Germany, France, Denmark, Canada, and every state in the US reenact this time of American history. Every major battle is reenacted as well as alot of the minor ones.
People from all walks of life are experiencing first hand what it was like fore our forefathers and gaining tremendous respect for them as they braved the cold, wind, rain, snow in the same manner they did. Modern comforts are being abandoned in their desire to develop the mettle it took to forge a new nation.
Since reenacting has become so popular in recent years, there are many more events. It should be fairly easy to find one in your area. Sutlers (vendors) are at all the events. They have virtually everything it takes to outfit a complete soldier, dress as a civilian to memorabilia. This is a hobby that is attracting participants from all ages and walks of life, including men, women and children.
My husband started reenacting last year. He took part in a very large Civil War reenactment. His unit not only took him, but made it clear they wanted all of us to reenact if we so desired. This is a sport that has room for participants of all ages from toddlers up to elderly.
It was interesting looking around at all the participants dressed up in their "period correct" clothing. Depending on the unit, the men might be wearing anything from a full confederate uniform, to a set of trousers, shirt and jacket but not in the standard rebel grey. The yankees were pretty much uniform in what they wore. The women were just as diverse in their costumes. Some had very elaborate ball gowns, while others had day dresses. I remember seeing a toddler outfitted in period dress and thinking how much fun it was since it was something the entire family could participate in even if they weren't actually on the battlefield.
I've never been to a rendezvous nor any other type of reenactment. However I can say that if they are all as much fun as the reenactments I went to this past summer they are all worth getting involved with.