ECW Weekender: Fredericksburg National Cemetery Luminaria
(Photo courtesy of Chris Mackowski)
Some ECW authors had a moment of memory and nostalgia a few weeks ago when Fredericksburg National Cemetery’s Luminaria came up in conversation. A few had early public history experiences planning or helping with that event!
After several years without “the lights,” Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania National Military Park announced that they plan to hold the event in 2022, on Saturday, May 28 from 8pm to 11pm. It will be a special event for Memorial Day weekend. With the help of local scouts, 15,300 candles will be lit and placed at the graves of the Federal soldiers buried in the cemetery. Taps will echo every half-hour, and park staff will be sharing the historic stories of some of the soldiers buried there.
Of course, this is all weather permitting! So if you are planning to attend, keep an eye on the forecast, the sky, and announcements from the national park.
For more details about the event, location, parking areas, and other relevant details, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/frsp/planyourvisit/luminaria.htm
And for historical details about Fredericksburg National Cemetery, check out Where Valor Proudly Sleeps in the Engaging the Civil War Series.
Chris,
Thank you very much for the quick tour of the Vicksburg Battlefield. It brings back pleasant memories of my wife and I following the entire Grant campaign from the crossing of the Mississippi and ending at Vicksburg back in the hot Summer of 2018.