Potawatomi Wildlife Park holds Reenactment Day this Saturday
TIPPECANOEON Saturday, May 4 the Potawatomi Wildlife Park is putting on an event called Reenactment Day. This event features a local reenactment group that comes to the park to provide a variety of interactive activities that can be enjoyed by all ages. The park is located at 16998 State Road 331 in Tippecanoe.
This event has been held at the park for many years and was known as Benack's Crossing. This is the first year the event has been known as Reenactment Day. The name was changed to help people understand what the event was.
The event will begin with check-in at 10 a.m. Park Manager Lacey Pfeiffer will be at the Bessinger Pavilion to direct everyone to the activities.
“It is a great way for the park and the group to come together,” Pfeiffer said when talking about the event.
She said that the park and the group want to be able to teach the public about history. Coming together for this event lets them do this.
Interactive demonstrations will run from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Reenactment activities include preparing food in the field, spinning wool into thread, raising chickens, a horse team wagon ride, canon demonstration, 1800s military equitation horses, 1800s military arms display, tent/camp set up, building battlefield features and vendors.
The arms that will be on display feature French, Russian, British and Austrian pieces. The battlefield features that will be built include forts and walls.
Vendors include 1800s candy, honey, fruit and more.
A lunch will then be taken at 12 p.m. This will be hot dogs and chips. At this time officer reenactors will explain their uniform colors, features and meanings.
The next activity is a tactical display which begins at 12:30 p.m. Reenactors will walk visitors through how the 1800 century battlefield worked and how modern-day reenactments
work. The public will also be taught how reenactments work. Questions are encouraged.
A lot of work goes into preparing for this event. Reenactors meet throughout the year to train and plan their reenactment.
“There are great interactive demos, it can show kids different things,” Pfeiffer said when talking about why people should come out for the event. Lawn chairs can be bought for this.
At 1:30 p.m. a battle deserter will be captured, and a medical interpreter will talk about wounds and punishments.
At 2 p.m. the public will depart.
If anyone is interested in taking part, they can contact JH Northrop at 574-505-0700.
There is no cost, but at-will donations will be accepted.