Old Bethpage Village Hosts Civil War Re-enactment on July 18 - 19

The union army advances during skirmishes at Old Bethpage Village.

Union and Confederate troops will re-enact a skirmish during the fierce Battle of Second Bull Run (1862) at Old Bethpage Village Restoration on July 18 - 19, announced Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi.

The skirmish will take place both days from 11 a.m. - noon and 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., involving Union infantry forces pursuing the rebels.

During this weekend, OBVR departs from its mission of strictly interpreting 19th-century Long Island life to present a vivid portrait of the Civil War period in the Virginia countryside.

In addition to the planned skirmishes, volunteers for both armies will demonstrate military drills, musket firing and other camp duties. Additional activities include fiddle music from noon to 4 p.m. each day.

The event is co-hosted by a number of historical organizations dedicated to the preservation of Civil War history, including: Company H, 119th New York Volunteer Historical Association; the Fourteenth Brooklyn Regiment, N.Y.S.M., Co. E; the 9th Virginia Infantry Association; the 57th Virginia Infantry Association; and the 30th Virginia Infantry.

Old Bethpage Village provides visitors with the opportunity to step back in time and experience life in a recreated mid-19th-century American village set on more than 200 acres and boasting some 50 historic buildings. Hours are 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Wednesday - Friday and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday - Sunday. Beginning June 26, the Village is open Wednesday - Sunday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.