Military History Fest

Event Details

The Civil War Sesquicentennial will be remembered at this Annual Military History Fest near Chicago.

Historical reenactors, wargamers, toy soldier collectors, military antiques enthusiasts and history buffs will have something to celebrate at the beautiful Westin Chicago North Shore hotel in Wheeling, IL. Inside, visitors will find a 10,000 square foot dealer hall packed with everything from books and toy soldiers to full historical costumes and rare original military relics, many of which will be from the Civil War period. They will also experience a timeline of historical displays manned by hundreds of authentically costumed reenactors and living historians, covering everything from the Roman Empire to WWII.

A variety of seminars and events during the weekend will be geared-toward Civil War history:

- On Friday there will be a "Generals News Conference" with Civil War Generals Grant Lee and Custer
- On Saturday Grant and Lee will reminisce on the last year of the war, telling tales from the Wilderness to Appomattox
- William Schmidtke will present a two-part seminar on Civil War small arms
- Ron Kirchgessner will set up a Civil War medical display and give talks on the subject
- Audrey Scanlan-Teller will speak about women who passed as male in order to fight on the front lines and the historical precedence of this choice
- David Wiedenkeller will offer a short presentation of his Civil War naval officer impression
- Civil War clothing, kit, and wares will be for sale from Allan's Laurel Hill Sutlery and Castle Keep

Military History Fest isn't just for Dad! There are kids programs throughout the day, live music and entertainment, and what's best is they get in FREE if they are 15 and under! There's even more for Mom! The dealer hall is loaded with historical dresses, hats, patterns, accessories, jewelry and the "finer things" you just don't encounter every day.

The fun doesn't end when the sun goes down. This 3 day celebration hosts amazing parties each night, including the Grand Ball on Saturday evening. Discounted tickets and room rates are available online. Come for the day or for all three - but don't miss it!