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ROCKFORD — The largest World War II reenactment in the Midwest returns this weekend, bringing more than 1,000 reenactors and scores of authentic military vehicles to Midway Village Museum‘s campus.
The event goes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the 148-acre museum campus, 6799 Guilford Road.
More things to do: From fall festivities to reliving history: Here are 16 sweet things to do in the Rockford area
Visitors will see Allied and Axis troops and encampments representing nine separate warring nations. You can watch skirmishes and large-scale narrated battles, see authentic WWII-era tanks and military vehicles, listen to lectures and musical performances, and partake in a variety of other activities as the museum property is transformed into a frontline village from the 1940s.
“World War II Days is the highlight of our yearly living history schedule, and we are excited to again share with the local community a thoughtful and engaging re-enactment of World War II,” said Patrick O’Keefe, executive director of Midway Village Museum.
New this year are three “woods skirmishes” inside the wooded campgrounds area of the campus. There is limited audience seating of 200 people per woods skirmish.
Want to make your own plan of attack for how to best enjoy the event? Check out the full schedule below to make sure you don’t miss any of the action. (Note: Guests receive a detailed map and program to help you locate all the events.)
WWII Days event and battle schedule
Saturday, Sept. 30
Battles
- 10:30 a.m. main battle
- Noon woods skirmish
- 2 p.m. main battle
- 3 p.m. wood skirmish
- 4 p.m. wood skirmish
Other activities
- 11 a.m. Tom Gitter, WWII Veteran: Personal Experiences, Service and Souvenirs
- 11:15 a.m. medical scenario
- 11:30 a.m. Andrews Sisters Concert – Sweet Reminder
- 12:30 p.m. Aidan & Ariah Quimby: Gathering Oral History, WWII Veteran Don Bein’s Experiences
- 1 p.m. Flying demonstration at main battlefield
- 1 p.m. General Patton briefing
- 1:30 p.m. Music of the 1940s with Nicole Kramas
- 1:30 p.m. Barbara Brown, Perpetrators and Bystanders: Guards, Policemen, and the Community with Goldie Pekarsky, My Father’s Story: Holocaust Survivor
- 2 p.m. Pick a bouquet opens
- 2:45 p.m. medical scenario
- 3 p.m. Bob Carlson, The Pearl Harbor Attack: A Lasting Legacy
- 3:30 p.m. General Patton Briefing
- 5 p.m. closes for the day
Sunday, Oct. 1
Battles
- Noon woods skirmish
- 2 p.m. main battle
- 3 p.m. wood skirmish
Other activities
- 10 a.m. gates open
- 11 a.m. Susan Schinleber, Antisemitism: Myths and Reality
- 11:30 a.m. Andrews Sisters Concert – Sweet Reminder
- 12:30 p.m. Barbara Brown, Perpetrators and Bystanders: Guards, Policemen, and the Community with Goldie Pekarsky, My Father’s Story: Holocaust Survivor
- 1 p.m. flying demonstration at main battlefield
- 1 p.m. General Patton briefing
- 1:30 p.m. Music of the 1940s with Nicole Kramas
- 1:30 p.m. Bob Carlson, The Pearl Harbor Attack: A Lasting Legacy
- 2:45 p.m. Medical Scenario
- 4 p.m. event closes
Know before you go
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1
Where: Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford
Admission: $19 ($10 for members); $12 for children ages 5-12 ($8 for members); $14 for veterans and active duty personnel; free for children younger than 4
Tickets/info: Go HERE