BEST BET: Civil War returns to Vista battleground


VISTA ---- The Civil War Re-Enactment continues March 6 at the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum in Vista. The event again brings together hundreds of participants dressed in North or South uniforms, watched by hundreds more eager to witness what it was like for Civil War-era soldiers and civilians.

Battle scenes and pageantry are all part of the staged melee (the battles get underway at noon and 3 p.m. sharp). The event also marks 150 years since the war began.

Event organizers promise "raging battle scenes, re-created by some of the largest re-enactment groups in California," according to a news release.

"These battles follow a plan, but there is also a lot that is ad-libbed," said event organizer Richard Wixon. "The re-enactments are not based on any specific battle because the real battles were so large ---- Gettysburg alone had 60,000 casualties ---- so you can't reproduce that, but there is definitely an aura of authenticity around everything that is done."

Historians, entertainers, food vendors and merchants with Civil War-era goods are also part of the event, which organizers say is one of the largest Civil War re-enactments on the West Coast. Actors portraying Abraham Lincoln and Confederate president Jefferson Davis will answer questions, and the actor playing Lincoln will perform the Gettysburg Address. All this, plus authentic period cannons. Artillery displays take place at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

"We will have 25 mounted cavalry units rushing opposing lines," Wixon said. "We will showcase the basic and more complex mechanics and tactics of battle."

The educational component has become more and more formidable in recent years, Wixon said, with school groups attending.

"The participants stay in character, so the kids get a sense of what it was like to converse with someone from that era," he said.

The Civil War event appeals to people because there is a certain magnetic quality to that war and era for Americans, Wixon said.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 6 at 2040 N. Santa Fe Ave. in Vista. Tickets are $13 for adults; $11 for seniors 62 and older; $6 for children 11 and under. Children under 4 and active military are free. Parking is $2.

Call 760-941-1791 or visit


