By Preston Knight -- Daily Staff Writer

NEW MARKET — There's no opportunity to reinvent the wheel when it comes to re-enacting a battle, but the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park continues to build its film credits.

A year after a Spanish film crew visited to shoot a documentary, camera crews from Blue Ridge Public Television will visit the park this weekend to capture footage for public school use throughout the state, according to the battlefield's director, Scott Harris.

"We're glad to be able to participate," he said.

About 2,000 re-enactors, 100 horses and scores of visitors will also be around for the 144th anniversary of the battle Friday through Sunday. The weekend begins with an artillery duel at 1 p.m. on Friday with a Union battery positioned between Days Inn and the Shirley House on George R. Collins Memorial Parkway and Confederates at Shirley's Hill. The former's location is different this year because there is construction ongoing at the Quality Inn, Harris said.

On Saturday, there will be living history presentations, a performance by the Stonewall Brigade Band at noon and a tactical battle re-enactment at 2 p.m. The full re-enactment is 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, preceded by a Civil War church service and more living history programs.

Those itching for their history can actually start scratching today. At 10:30 a.m., the Women's Memorial Society of New Market will unveil a new granite marker dedicated to six Virginia Military Institute cadets who were originally buried in St. Matthew's Cemetery behind Reformation Lutheran Church, according to a press release. Col. Keith Gibson, the executive director of VMI's museum operations, will speak at the cemetery.

Harris said it's hard to predict whether attendance at the re-enactment will be affected this year by high gasoline prices. From a local standpoint, he said there's no excuse to pass on the weekend.

"This is a quality, family oriented, educational event that's interesting that is right in your backyard, and it doesn't take a full tank of gas to get to," Harris said.

It's also free for New Market residents. Otherwise, it's $10 for adults for Saturday or Sunday's re-enactment and $5 for children ages 6-17. Children 5 and under are admitted free.

For more information, call 740-3101 or visit www.vmi.edu/newmarket.

* Contact Preston Knight at pknight@nvdaily.com