JACKSON, Mich. — If you are one of the thousands of people who attend the annual Civil War Muster in Jackson, you might want to make other plans come August.
That's because it won't be taking place this year. This marks the first time in over three decades that it won't happen.
Organizers and participants say they hope taking a year off will make it a better experience.
"I was upset about it at first. But honestly, I'm hoping that next year they make it bigger and better and we bring in a lot of interesting stuff," Liz Tingley said. Tingley is a reenactor in 2nd United States Sharpshooters Co. B.
Tingley won't be traveling back in time to the Civil War this summer for the first time in her life, something she says is her favorite thing to do. Like Tingley, many others were surprised when they heard the news. President of the Jackson Civil War Society Kim Conant says they came to this decision as a group.
"I think people were in shock, I really do and I apologize for that. But I think that the shock that is being shown...that's a compliment," Conant said.
A compliment she says gives them all the reasons they need to bring the event back...but differently.
"Let's make it more interesting, something exciting that the sponsors can be proud of. Something different, something new. And that's what we want to do, we want to make a bigger, better event."
The event has drawn more than 30,000 people to Jackson each year since the 1980s. And even though it's one of the biggest reenactments in the Midwest, Conant says it hasn't changed much since then. She's hoping the hiatus will save it from fizzling out.
"We don't want it to be boring for anyone. We don't want people to come and say 'oh it's the same thing, they have this, they have that.' It's been the same thing for 34 years. So we want the 35th to be grand...and it will be," she said.
The event is expected to kick back off next year for its 35th anniversary.
The reenactment usually took place at cascades falls park, but it moved to Ella Sharp Park last year.
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