Civil War Reenacting For the Whole Family

And the winner is: “Celebrating the little-known Battle of Calico, California, (or Farb Forks) apparently fought over possession of the town’s only all-you-can-eat buffet.” — Ken Noe

Those of you who are into reenacting are either going to get a good laugh out of this or have your day ruined.  Each year, Calico Ghost Town plays host to hundreds of Civil War reenactors and their families in a President’s Day weekend experience.  The video is from this past Sunday.

There has to be something redeeming about this. 🙂

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25 comments… add one
  • Rob Baker Feb 29, 2012 @ 20:51

    I’ve recently gotten into preenacting. It’s where you dress up in tin foil, then run around pretending to shoot lasers at each other to demonstrate what World War IV will look like.

    • Roger E. Watson Mar 1, 2012 @ 9:58

      Kinda hard for anyone to call you a “farby” !! 😉

  • Pat Young Feb 29, 2012 @ 15:58

    I listen to Civil War Talk Radio quite often, and about half the authors interviewed got started on the Civil War after attending an event like this as kids.

    • Kevin Levin Feb 29, 2012 @ 20:58

      Yes, but it looks like most of the kids just kept returning to the scene of the crime year after year. 🙂

  • Corey Meyer Feb 29, 2012 @ 15:57

    Then there is the other extreme…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viMevgEXuBc

  • Kirsten Schultz Feb 29, 2012 @ 15:27

    Ahem. I would like to point out the lack of a pets and beverages warning before clicking onto the blog home page. Thank goodness the laptop survived the deluge.

    Signed,

    Indignant Reader

  • Ken Noe Feb 29, 2012 @ 14:25

    Celebrating the little-known Battle of Calico, California, (or Farb Forks) apparently fought over possession of the town’s only all-you-can-eat buffet.

  • Tim Abbott Feb 29, 2012 @ 11:55

    This is why I do RevWar now. Fewer of us at events to be embarrassed by, some good folks in the hobby who take material culture documentation and scholarship very seriously, and there are no 1/2 scale trains running around to tempt us to play Jesse James. Though I did go for a drunken row late one night in a Loyalist battoe…

  • M. Fox Feb 29, 2012 @ 10:35

    Are you making fun of Civil War reenactors in general or just overweight reenactors (as most of the comments do)? This is a mean-spirited post and you’ve brought out the meanness of others.

    • Kevin Levin Feb 29, 2012 @ 10:38

      With all due respect, lighten up.

    • Matt McKeon Feb 29, 2012 @ 13:05

      It’s making fun of fat people. Because fat people are funny! And contemptible!

      • Woodrowfan Feb 29, 2012 @ 16:49

        Some of us are a bit large as well. I think it’s more along the lines of ‘these people insist everything be exactly as it was in the war, uniforms, buttons, material, weapons, insignia, everything except for the 50 inch waist.

  • Rob Baker Feb 29, 2012 @ 8:23

    Wow, that was one big Yankee.

    In the same emotion of Corey I am both laughing while also having my day ruined. I will post this video on the reenactor forum I use and see what responses I can get there.

    • Andy Hall Feb 29, 2012 @ 9:10

      The Zouave jacket is a nice touch. Just as well they didn’t go with the pantaloons and turbans; red is not a slimming color.

      • Ray O'Hara Feb 29, 2012 @ 10:04

        I liked the Yankee who on being “killed” made sure his nice red kepi didn’t get dirty.
        and the two who were getting comfortable as they slowly died.

        But I like reenactments, the bigger the better.

    • Woodrowfan Feb 29, 2012 @ 11:04

      to be fair, the Rebs clearly did not suffer from a lack of supplies either! 😎 The local Chick Fil A had apparently seen some recent foragers. (I prefer foraging at Five Guys myself) .

  • Woodrowfan Feb 29, 2012 @ 8:03

    I don’t think those men were shot, I think they had heart attacks while trying to charge the enemy! (to be fair, I wouldn’t be able to “charge” myself so much as “walk quickly in the direction of the enemy”)

    • Kevin Levin Feb 29, 2012 @ 8:05

      I think one guy choked to death on a chicken bone.

      • Michael Douglas Feb 29, 2012 @ 9:19

        As ’tis said in the “hood,” Y’all ain’t right! lmao!

    • Andy Hall Feb 29, 2012 @ 8:23

      I’m often tempted to get into the reenacting thing, because it looks like hell’s own fun. But then I realize the hobby doesn’t need any more people who look like this, and the feeling passes. I really do see my non-participation as a positive gift to the reenacting community at large. You’re welcome.

      That said, I think there’s a proper role for, um, gentlemen of grand stature. Someone, after all, needs to provide cover for all those lean-and-mean soldiers in the ranks behind. Seriously, who do you think is better qualified to stop a Minie ball, the guy in the video frame above or some scrawny kid? 😉

    • Rob Baker Feb 29, 2012 @ 8:24

      I usually don’t charge, I die before those long runs. 😉

  • Corey Meyer Feb 29, 2012 @ 7:06

    Laughing while having it ruined.

  • Daryl Black Feb 29, 2012 @ 6:59

    Why isn’t there a like button to click?

  • Richard Hill Feb 29, 2012 @ 5:46

    Personally my day is now ruined!

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