Manassas cancels Civil War Weekend for good, replaces with History Weekend

A Northern Virginia city has eliminated its Civil War weekend one year after the Charlottesville rally prompted the events' cancellation due to safety concerns for residents, visitors and re-enactors.

The City of Manassas will no longer host its Civil War weekend, instead, now opting to hold a Manassas History Weekend, officials tell FOX 5.

Officials said the weekend will still include Civil War components, but not the controversial Civil War re-enactment. The decision was made to end Civil War weekend due to security concerns, officials stated.

"It's a look at our military history through the ages. So we're going to have stuff here from the Revolutionary War, World War I, World War II, veterans are coming out so it's a first-time event for us and we're very excited to share this with the public," Mary Helen Dellinger, the curator at the Manassas Museum said.

Manassas is well-known for its rich history and its museum attracts more than 13,000 visitors each year. The city's Civil War weekend attracted about 200 people each year and Dellinger said she hopes the new history weekend will have the same success.

"We chose to focus on a new event, Manassas through the ages, and focusing on more about modern stories," Dellinger said. "We're not ignoring that part of our history, we're just embracing it. It's just part of a larger story that we're choosing to tell this time."

"The Sesquicentennial of the Civil War was four years and that is why the event has become Manassas History Weekend," City of Manassas Spokesperson Patty Prince added.

The new Manassas History Weekend will feature some Civil War components including living history interpreters, children's activities, spy games, a scavenger hunt and cannon demonstrations.

The event will take place from Aug. 24 to Aug. 26 at the Manassas Museum and also at the historic Liberia House nearby.