Be there as Union soldiers drill ahead of battle, or when Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant discuss the terms of surrender, or when President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.
The annual Huntington Beach Civil War Days will have historians reenacting these moments and others from the war that tore this country apart, educating and making history come alive for the thousands who attend each year.
Civil War Days, which has been held by the Huntington Beach Historical Society for more than 32 years, will also feature two battle reenactments each day, Aug. 30 and 31.
There will be discussions of the contributions of Black troops and Native Americans in the war and replicas of camps showing what life was like in the 1860s.
A twilight concert at 5:30 p.m. caps the day of activities on Aug. 30 and a 9 a.m. church service starts the day on Aug. 31.
If you go
- When: Opens 10 a.m. each day and activities are scheduled 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 30 and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 31; battles are 1:30 and 4 p.m. on Aug. 30 and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Aug. 31
- Where: Huntington Beach Central Park, behind the library
- Cost: Free
- Information: hbhistory.org/civilwar