Relive History with Vets Commission War of 1812 Reenactment

This Sept. 15 and 16, the Oak Forest Veterans Commission will celebrate the bicentennial of the War of 1812 with two reenactments at the Oak Fest Grounds, 157^th Street and Lorel Avenue. The reenactments will feature more than 100 participants, 50 pounds of gunpowder and several horses.

“I've been to other towns with reenactments and I thought it was a great idea,” said Joe Pletzke, a member of the Veterans Commission. “The Veterans Commission always wants to portray the military stuff and I thought it'd be fun for the school kids to relive history a little bit.”

The first reenactment will take place immediately following the, which steps off at 11 a.m. from 151^st Street and Central Avenue. The reenactment is scheduled for 2 p.m., lasting about 45 minutes.

“They're going to be shooting at each other and we'll have a narrator with loud speakers explaining what's going on to the public,” Pletzke said.

Following the War of 1812 reenactment there will be a Napoleonic War reenactment at 4 p.m. After the two reenactments there will be a period dance, set in 1812. The dance will feature a live band in period garb, a dance caller and more. The dance will start at 7 p.m sharp.

After the dance wraps up, reenactment participants will camp on the Oak Fest grounds, where the public will be able to interact with them and learn what it was like to live in 1812, Pletzke said. 

Don't miss out on a chance to relive a piece of history!