Football isn't the only thing blue this weekend, as members of the 3rd Pennsylvania Volunteers, Battery B, don their blue-wool garments as part of a Civil War artillery demonstration at the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg.

If the prospect of history class lulls you to sleep, this Saturday and Sunday should literally be a blast. The volunteers will begin their re-enactment season with drill training and a demonstration of the loading and firing of Civil War era artillery devices.

Though a six-horse team historically pulled in the cannons on display, they now arrive by truck. But unit commander Col. James Dearing said the rest of the spectacle aims to be as authentic as possible.

"What we provide is a window, be it a little cloudy, for people to see into the past," Dearing said. "What their ancestors did on and off the battlefield."

But that window often seems to be closed to casual observers of history, Joe Horvath, the museum's educator, said.

"History is not just black and white pictures with a name and date," Horvath said. "History is very alive, and re-enactments bring that history to life."

Dearing, who has 35 years of experience with these types of demonstrations, said revitalizing history through re-enactment has its challenges. All members involved, whose ages range from 12 to 80, are volunteers. That means they must buy their own uniforms and complete specific training.

This weekend marks the beginning of the season for the volunteers, who will be operating the three-quarter-ton artillery devices, which discharge just under a pound of explosive powder per shot. The training weekend is especially important because it is followed by roughly 20 other appearances and 8,000 miles of travel for the volunteers across the East Coast. The season culminates with a re-enactment of the battle of Cedar Creek at its original site in Virginia.

The demonstration always brings in people who want to see "the big bang," but there is a more profound reason for witnessing it, Horvath said.

"One thing we need in this country is a sense of history," Horvath said. "This could be a child's first brush with history. A book could bore them out of their minds."

Dearing said important knowledge could be extrapolated from awareness of our ancestors. "In school anymore, history isn't taught too much. The classic remark is, 'If we don't learn from our past, we are doomed to repeat it,' " Dearing said. "I hope we never have to repeat something like the Civil War. We're still dealing with ramifications of what the Civil War tried to answer."

Lessons from the Civil War era transcend the battlefield into our personal lives and society, said William Blair, associate professor in history. "So many of today's issues have their roots in the Civil War Era. The Revolution made the country; the Civil War made the nation."

He added that the issues of federalism, civil liberties and personal liberties are still on the table today. Blair is the director of the George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center in 314 Weaver, which is active in researching the era and publicizing its findings in a history journal. Blair said that using history as a learning tool is extremely helpful.

"We have short memories in this society. We can often walk into similar circumstances without realizing we've learned this before."