July 4th family picnic
July 4th is an exciting time in Gettysburg. We have the famous reinactors in town in full costume. The women dress in those full gowns. I really do not see how they walk in the dresses. They are very long and they have the big hats and hair wrapped in a net which helps keep their long hair from blowing.
The men’s costumes are wool, just like in the actual Civil War times. Our weather here in Gettysburg on July 4th can be anything from high 90s to low 60s at night. They have camp fires and tents to live in during this Civil War season.
We have our own reenactment, which the same reinactors come every year. There is so much to see from the Picketts charge, to just roaming the battlefield, to watching them in a parade in full uniforms.
If you come in the Steinour Avenue exit off Route 15, you will be coming in on Emittsburg Road and that leads right into Steinour Avenue. This is a street that has a lot of hotels and restaurants, from McDonalds to drive-in Chinese Restaurants, to Friendlys and other types of restaurants.
There is an encampment on that end of town in front of a large souvenir building. Last year when my friend from Virginia came to visit me, she found a group of soldiers who were from Virginia. She took many pictures. They did not mind. They were smiling and kept on doing what they do. Some were cleaning the guns and just talking among themselves and the tourists.
As a resident, we refer to this part of town as restaurant alley. However, there is another section that intersects with this part of town that is a must see. It is called Baltimore Street. There is a little village there that has outside ice cream or sandwich restaurants. There are many, many souvenir places both on Steinour Avenue and Baltimore Street.
The children are fascinated with the many museums and they love the old time rifles that are just like the ones that were used in the Civil War. On Baltimore Street you will pass the cemetery where Lincoln gave his Gettysburg address. Also, during this time, the Fireman of Gettysburg hold their annual Fireman’s Carnival at our recreation park. During other times, the recreation park is just that. A park for the children to play on various equipment. Back to the Carnival. This is my best part, as you can get any kind of junk food you can think of. Popcorn, ice cream, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, pizza, ice cones, and they even have a place where you can go inside and sit and get all kinds of homemade items. Usually they have their famous chicken corn soup and their hot beef sandwiches. We usually meet here and then go around to see what else is there for us to do.
There are all kinds of pitch dimes, pitch quarters, water pistols and you win prizes. We also have a quilt raffle. We even have a money raffle.
Do I have your interest? Do you want to come to Gettysburg and have some family fun?
If you want to take a ride through the country, you can take Route 30 East and come upon Calendonia Park. There is a picnic area, camping area, and a swimming pool which feels good on a hot July 4th day. Sometimes we hold our 4th of July picnics here. It even has nature walks and a lot of things for everyone to do.
Finally, the best of the best is the fireworks on July 4th. They are so beautiful and usually begin at 10 p.m. It is so important to the occasion that all rides are closed, and if you haven’t put your own chair to keep a spot you have selected, you will be caught standing in a sardine style place. One thing I can say, which cannot be said for a lot of places, no one steals your unobserved chairs or blankets. The younger generation likes to lie down for more comfort, and look into the sky at the red, white and blue colors. We do have some fireworks that are made to go off close to the ground. They say Happy Fourth of July.
My personal favorite is our family picnic that week. We either go to one of the family’s house or take off and go down to the Calendonia Park to picnic. Where ever we are, we play games (like volleyball or baseball) and, of course, eat, and eat, and eat some more. That is the reason we have to do some physical activity afterward. What fun!!!!!!
Hope to see you in Gettysburg this Fourth of July.
One reminder, to actually go to the reenactment that is held just out of town in the actual fields where the Civil War ended, you must buy tickets. There are several locations around town where you can get them, but I would advise you to get them early.
The year my sister and her family came, the temperature was well into the 90s. You have actual fights between the North and the South. Men fall off horses. They fire actual cannons, so if your ears are sensitive, you may want to bring ear plugs. It is something to see. They do have refreshment stands around, but they are a good walk to get to. I am not sure if you can bring your own or not. Definitely NO alcohol.
Published U.S. Legacies July 2005
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