Annual Events

Re-Enactor Registration Information

As an official Arizona Centennial Event, the 2012 Civil War in the Southwest activities at Picacho Peak State Park have been extended to a three-day event. Friday, March 9th is a not-open-to-the-public Centennial Education Day for local school groups. The Saturday (10th) and Sunday (11th) event is scheduled similar to past years. As a result of the addition of Friday’s events, the set up schedule for participating re-enactors is as follows:

Thursday, March 8th, set up permitted any time after 10 am.
Friday, March 9th, set up permitted after 3 pm.
Any re-enactor in the event area during Friday’s “Centennial Education Day” must be in period attire between 8 am - 3 pm. All vehicles and non-period items must be out of the event area during that time.

Registration Form & Guidelines

To participate ALL re-enactors must download, complete, and mail to the park a Re-enactor Registration Form ( 404 KB PDF). Deadline for registration is March 1, 2012. Also please review the Artillery, Battle Weapons, Cavalry and Clothing Guidelines to help us ensure an authentic experience for visitors. Upon arrival ALL re-enactors must check in at the Re-enactors Headquarters prior to setting up camp. Thank you for your interest in participating in this year’s Arizona Centennial Event!

March 10 & 11, 2012: Civil War in the Southwest (Official AZ Centennial Event)

This year marks the 150th Anniversary of the Engagement of Picacho Pass! In addition, the 2012 Civil War in the Southwest is an official Arizona Centennial Event. Download Event Flier ( 1 MB PDF)

Each year hundreds of spectators descend on Picacho Peak State Park to watch re-enactments of an Arizona Civil War skirmish and the New Mexico battles of Glorieta and Val Verde.

Visitors travel from around the country to experience three fascinating historic battle re-enactments complete with lifestyles of the soldiers in the southwest during the 1860s. More than 200 re-enactors come from many states and will camp at the park with their authentic Civil War camping gear. Food and beverage concessions are also available, including the popular Kettle corn vendor.

Experience three battle re-enactments during the annual Civil War the Southest event.

Civil War battles across America were well documented and history teachers carefully covered each battle across the East Coast, but few ever thought what was happening in the West during this time. A battle of the American Civil War was a skirmish fought near a rocky spire called Picacho Peak located between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. The new highway follows the old wagon route that passed Picacho in 1862.

In 1860 the New Mexico Territory, which consisted of the lands that would become the states of Arizona and New Mexico, was sparsely populated. It ranked 34th in population out of 43 states and territories with only 83,009 inhabitants. It was 37th in black populations, with just 8 whom were all free. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, the U.S. Government recalled the majority of its troops from the West to build the Union army for the fighting in the east. Henry Hopkins Sibley joined the Confederacy and convinced Jefferson Davis that he would raise an army in Texas and invade New Mexico territories. He proposed that mineral resources would fill the coffers of the Confederacy and fund their massive war effort.

Re-enactor Liaison: Christopher DeMille, (520) 586-4117

See 2011 Civil War in the Southwest Photo Gallery
See 2010 Civil War in the Southwest Photo Gallery
See 2008 Civil War in the Southwest Photo Gallery
Historical Re-Enactor information about this event