PHILIPPI — History will come to life this weekend when the town of Philippi celebrates the annual Blue & Gray Reunion.

The 165th celebration of the first land battle of the Civil War will get underway on Friday and conclude Sunday. The weekend will be filled with reenactments, demonstrations, vendors, family activities, music, food and more.

An authentic 1837 Cyrus & Alger 6-pound Smoothbore Cannon will be making its first-ever appearance at this year’s Blue & Gray Reunion. The cannon is a piece of American history that was actually fired throughout the Civil War, officials said. It will be used during weekend reenactments and demonstrations. When fired, those around the cannon can actually feel the ground shake.

Crafters and artisans whose work reflects the skills and aesthetics of the 1860s, including blacksmiths, potters, quilters and other traditional enthusiasts will be among the many vendors taking part in the celebration.

Things get underway on Friday at 10 a.m., when a Quilt Show opens at the Garden Market and runs until 5 p.m. The museum will also open at 10 a.m., as will the Civil War Interactive Displays, at the Philippi Public Library, and a living history demonstration with General Grant and Abraham Lincoln re-enactors.

Food vendors and crafters will begin selling items at 11 a.m., and the Civil War camps and bounce houses for children open at noon. Jim Snyder will play a concert at 5 p.m. at the Gazebo and the annual Blue and Gray Parade will be at 7 p.m. on Main Street. Electric Blue will cap off Friday’s activities with a concert at the Gazebo at 7:30 p.m.

Things will get started bright and early on Saturday morning when the Blue and Gray breakfast at the Crim Church begins at 7:30 a.m. The annual Blue and Gray 5K will get underway at 8:30 a.m.

At 9 a.m. on Saturday, the Hanger Amputation Interactive Display at Sutler Row will open, along with the Civil War Camps. The interactive presentation showcases the 1861 battlefield surgery of Confederate soldier James Edward Hanger, whose traumatic injury spurred modern prosthetics and the creation of Hanger, Inc.

Beginning at 10 a.m., the Covered Bridge will open to pedestrian traffic, while the Quilt Show will begin, and the Museum will open. At the same time, the Courthouse tours will begin, and the Civil War Interactive displays will open at the Philippi Public Library.

Food vendors and crafters will begin selling items at 11 a.m. and the bounce houses will open at noon. There will be a skirmish battle at the Covered Bridge at 2 p.m., and the Blue and Gray Choir will perform at the Philippi Baptist Church at 3 p.m.

A re-enactment of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address will take place at 5 p.m. at the Gazebo, and will be followed by live music and the re-enactor dinner at 5:30 p.m.

A square dance will begin at Midtown on Main at 6:30 p.m., and Flashback will perform a concert at 7 p.m. at the Gazebo. The day will be capped off by a night battle at the Covered Bridge at 9:30 p.m.

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Sunday, the Hanger Amputation Interactive Display at Sutler Row will open, and will be followed by a host of activities at 10 a.m., including the opening of the museum, church service at the Gazebo, food and crafters, and the Blue and Gray Paddle, which will be held below the Covered Bridge. The B&G Paddle is a two-to-three hour paddle down the Tygart River.

A battlefield walking tour will begin at Courthouse Square at 11 a.m., and the bounce houses will open at noon. An artillery demonstration at the Covered Bridge takes place at 12:30 p.m. and will be followed by the re-enactment of the First Land Battle of the Civil War. After the battle concludes, the Hanger Amputation reenactment will take place at Sutler Row.

For more information on this weekend’s celebration, visit the reunion’s Facebook page or go to www.blueandgrayreunion.org.