To all our friends and loyal supporters of the CRYSTAL RIVER RAID Civil War Reenactment:
It is with mixed emotions that the staff of the Crystal River Raid, Inc. announce the retirement of our event. Our land manager and event coordinator, Curtis Peters, has been offered a position with another mining company. He officially left the Holcim US, Inc. Crystal River site on March 24th and began his new job the following day. We congratulate Curtis and wish him well in his new venture. John Porter, as our Treasurer, Logistics and Sutler Coordinator, has decided that since Curtis has left, he will not continue with the Crystal River Raid organization. The Bruno family will continue to enjoy reenacting as they have done for almost 25 years. However, with so many key people leaving and the event site no longer assured, closure was the best option.
The dates that we have used, the 2nd weekend in March, have been given to General Hardy to establish a new reenactment or to move another reenactment to that date.
The Crystal River Raid organization wants to offer our heartfelt thanks for all of your support over the past 13 years on the Holcim property. We know that it could not have been as successful if it were not for the reenactors and sutlers who returned every year. Many of you have been with us since our very first event 15 years ago. Your loyalty and encouragement over the years have been appreciated. We have shared much with you, including a fire in the 14th Brooklyn camp, and a storm that caused damage to the ball tent prompting Curtis Peters to construct a steel barn. We have had both large and small crowds, but we have always had compliments on the work we did. We also want to offer a special thanks to the Flying Rock Hunt Club, Curtis quarry crew, for all the hard work they have done over the years to help make the event successful, and their selling of BBQ sandwiches. A special thank you to our Webmaster, Tim Stuart, for a outstanding job of managing our website all these years.
We have made a good team —- our coordinating staff and the reenactors and Sutlers. We feel that we have accomplished our mission: to educate people about a period in our history that changed our country forever. In the process, we have generated many years of great memories and precious friendships.
If you have any input or would like to contact any of our staff, find us on the Contact page.
Best regards and sincere thanks from the Crystal River Raid staff:
Curtis and Dawn Peters
John and Dusty Porter
Jeff and Carol Bruno, daughters Sarah and Brooke
Jim, Marcie and Jimmy Bruno
Kathy David
Alex Wiesen
Tim Stuart, our Webmaster.