Date: September 22, 2014
Contact: Eric Campbell, 540-868-9176
Schedule and Tickets Now Available For Battle of Cedar Creek Anniversary
Middletown, VA ----- The National Park Service and park partners are Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park announce the release of the schedule of events for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Creek. Anniversary events will take place from October 17 through October 20 and include a wide variety of activities for community members of all ages. The schedule can be found on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/cebe.
The park has worked collaboratively with many community partners to develop a highly engaging and meaningful event. The Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation and Belle Grove, Inc. are hosting a variety of activities on the ticketed event grounds to include living history demonstrations, lectures by prominent Civil War historians, tours of the Belle Grove Manor House, and reenactments of the cavalry battle at Tom’s Brook and the Third Battle of Winchester on Saturday, October 18 and a reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek on Sunday, October 19. The spectator parking and entrance gate will be on Route 11 just south of Middletown, VA.
“We have had tremendous response from the reenactment community to commemorate this significant anniversary,” reported Tim Stowe, President of the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation. “We expect at least 5,000 reenactors and more than 250 horse and riders will attend. The scale and scope of this year’s event will surpass anything we have done before and we encourage the public to come experience the sights and sounds of history in action.”
In addition to the ticketed event offerings at the park, the National Park Service will be offering free ranger programs that will take place throughout the park on both Saturday and Sunday. Park lands that are not regularly open to the public will be open and available for visitors to explore throughout the weekend. Popular real-time programs will begin at 5:00am on Sunday, October 19 and follow the action of the battle at the same time it took place in 1864. The anniversary commemoration ceremony is scheduled for 5:00pm on Saturday, October 18 at the Belle Grove Plantation at 336 Belle Grove Road.
“From experiencing signaling communication atop Signal Knob to hands-activities for kids on the battlefield, the 150th anniversary events include something for everyone,” noted Site Manager, Amy Bracewell. “This is a time to remember and honor the struggles and sacrifices of the men who fought here and I encourage all visitors to experience this history on the hallowed ground at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove.”
Tickets are now available online for the ticketed event activities. One day admission tickets are $18 for adults, $9 for Children ages 6 to 18, students with ID, retired or active military, and for persons 65 and older. Children 5 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased at www.ccbf.us or on-site at the day of the events. Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation and Belle Grove Plantation have also developed the “150 Club” as a way for visitors to support the preservation efforts of the park while receiving a special experience during the anniversary weekend. More information on the 150 Club can be found at www.ccbf.us or www.bellegrove.org.
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About Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park: Cedar Creek and Belle Grove commemorates a nationally significant Civil War landscape and antebellum plantation by sharing the story of Shenandoah Valley history from early settlement through the Civil War and beyond. The park is embedded within the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, a National Heritage Area.
Created on December 19, 2002, the park encompasses approximately 3,700 acres across three counties and includes the key partner sites of Belle Grove Plantation (owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and managed by Belle Grove, Inc.), Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation lands and Headquarters, Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation lands, and a developing Shenandoah County Park. The partner sites continue to be owned and operated independently.
