The San Benito County Historical Park in Tres Pinos saw an influx of visitors this past weekend as it hosted Civil War Days. The annual event brought in reenactors who dressed and acted the part of Union and Confederate soldiers as well as towns people.
“We probably had around 250 people during the weekend,” said Don Pidd, a member of the San Benito County Historical Society and caretaker of the Historical Park. The annual event is put on by the National Civil War Association.
He mentioned the event had a lot of competition from other local events such as the Northern California Renaissance Faire and a car show at Bolado Park.
“There was a lot more going on than in past years,” he said.
The Friday School Days event was still as busy as usual, with 150 local students and 50 adults visiting the historical village. Some of the reenactors arrived early to provide information to the students on what life was like during the Civil War.
“The Historical Village makes it really special to them,” Pidd said, of the reenactors.
Pidd said Saturday was busier than Sunday, with most visitors coming around the time the battles were set to take place. He recognized quite a few visitors as locals, but had received calls from some people who were interested in coming from outside the area.
“One of the main reasons we do this is to attract people out to the Historical Park,” Pidd said. “Hopefully, they will discover it and come back.”
