Dozens of families made their way Saturday to Fort McAllister State Historic Park to visit with Civil War re-enactors, tour the fort and enjoy various activities during the third annual Labor Day Family Festival.
The event was sponsored by Friends of Fort McAllister, a volunteer group that helps with special events and provides assistance with maintenance and improvement projects at the fort.
Event chairman Ryan Strickland deemed the event a success and expressed gratitude for all the community members who attended the event.
“Compared to last year, there have been a few more people come through the door (this year),” he said. “The weather is nice. With all the rain, we lucked out with some beautiful weather today.”
Civility Bowling said she and her family came to the event because of the family friendly atmosphere.
“It’s a good family event. It is a safe environment and has wide open spaces,” she said.
Attractions included canon and musket firings and the chance to visit with Civil War re-enactors. New to the event this year was the mobile H.L. Hunley exhibit, which consisted of a replica of the Confederate submarine used during the Civil War.
Mark Clark, with the Sons of Confederate Veterans H.L. Hunley Camp 143 in Summerville, S.C., answered questions about the exhibit.
“We take it around to educate people about the war,” he said. “It’s an exact replica — it’s got the hand crank, the rudder system, everything in it is like the original.”
Gene Brogdon, who helped organize the event, said he was glad to see so many families enjoying themselves.
“We’re after the younger families. We want to get them in here to expose them to the fort and see the re-enactors,” he said.