History will come to life on a massive scale this spring as the 165th Anniversary Coalition hosts a landmark commemoration of the Battle of First Manassas. Scheduled for the weekend of May 16–17, this event marks the largest reenactment of the historic 1861 battle in over a decade. 

Set against the rolling landscape of the Brandy Station Battlefield, the event will be the largest Civil War re-enactment in the country this year with thousands of reenactors representing more than 25 organizations. Participants are traveling from as far as Wyoming, the Midwest, and across the Northeast and South to honor the first major clash of the American Civil War. 

The 165th Anniversary Coalition has chosen this event to kick off a five-year series of commemorations marking the significant milestones of 1861–1865. While the original battle took place in July 1861, organizers moved the commemoration to May to ensure a premiere, large-scale experience for the public without conflicting with local living history events.