Three days of special activities, including a visit by acclaimed Civil War filmmaker Ron Maxwell, are planned April 25 to 27 as part of Genesee Community College’s annual Civil War Encampment at the Medina Campus Center, 11470 Maple Ridge Road in Medina.
The Encampment is part of GCC’s Civil War Initiative (CWI), which includes lectures, exhibits and other events to mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War (1861-1865).
Friday, April 25, has been designated as Education Day – open exclusively to students from local school districts.
At 7 p.m. Friday evening, organizers will present the first Orleans County Heritage Heroes Awards recognizing county residents who are advocates in preserving local history.
Saturday morning, April 26, the public is invited to “Breakfast with the Generals” at 9 a.m. Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet and Union General Ulysses S. Grant will be making appearances at restaurants in downtown Medina. Abraham Lincoln is expected to make an appearance for the start of the parade, which begins at 10 a.m.
Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., a genealogy workshop, fife and drum concert and tours of the Union and Confederate camps will be held.
Local writer Bill Kauffman and filmmaker Ron Maxwell will appear in the Central Tent at 1 p.m. Kauffman wrote the screenplay for Maxwell’s film, “Copperhead,” the third of his Civil War films which also include “Gettysburg” and “Gods and Generals.” “Copperhead” will be shown inside the Medina Campus Center at 7 p.m. Saturday evening.
Civil War battle re-enactments are scheduled for 2 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
“These battles are truly representative of those that occurred during the Civil War,” says Encampment coordinator and GCC assistant history professor Derek Maxfield. “Re-enactors go to great lengths to be authentic in their dress, their weapons, as well as their actions. It’s definitely something to see.”
On Saturday afternoon, Donna LaValle will give a presentation on Victorian fashion and the public is invited to wear late 19th century dress for the Victorian Cotillion in the Central Tent at 7 p.m. Saturday night. Music will be provided by City Fiddle from Buffalo.
Sunday, Confederate chaplain Sava Toufexis will lead a Civil War era religious service at 9 a.m. in the Central Tent. Additional talks and demonstrations are planned throughout the day. The Encampment closes at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
