Battle plans are being drawn for the ninth annual “The Blue and the Gray” Civil War reenactments organized by the Rotary Club of Moorpark.

The fighting will take place Sat. and Sun., Nov. 7 and 8 at the Tierra Rejada Ranch on Sunset Valley Road in Moorpark.

“Grant Takes Command!” is the theme of this year’s event, which brings history to life like none other in California, according to organizers.

“It’s going to be the largest reenactment west of the Rockies, and I think it may even be the largest annual reenactment west of the Mississippi,” coordinator Ed Mann said.

A Thousand Oaks resident and veteran of the Marine Corps and Army Reserves, Mann introduced to the Rotary Club the idea of hosting a reenactment 10 years ago.

It’s since blossomed into an annual destination for Civil War enthusiasts near and far. It’s also the Rotary Club’s largest yearly fundraiser, having raised about $450,000 over the past eight years for various charities that Rotary supports.

This year, soldiers will reenact the battles of Wilderness Day 1 and 2, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor and Sayler’s Creek.

More than 800 combatants will face off in Napoleonic-style infantry clashes, cavalry charges and artillery barrages to demonstrate what war was like in the 19th century.

Movie-quality pyrotechnics are employed to make the fighting seem as realistic as possible. But “The Blue and The Gray” isn’t only about what happened on the battlefield, Mann said.

Public presentations begin at 10 a.m. Saturday with a cooking demonstration in the large civilian camp constructed on the site. Activities involving songs of the Civil War, abolitionist rallies and speeches by Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis reenactors will also be featured that morning.

The first engagement between Union and Confederate troops will start at noon Saturday and will be followed by presentations of the Gettysburg Address and a grand review that afternoon.

Battles generally last about an hour and—be forewarned— they’re loud.

According to Mann, it’s an exhilarating experience unmatched anywhere.

“It’s one thing to read a book and another to see how things took place and what people were subjected to in those times,” he said.

A member of the Confederate Richmond Howitzers, Mann coordinates all reenactors at the Moorpark event and serves as the commander of Southern troops on the battlefield.

“If this was a movie production, the Rotary would be the producer and I would be the director,” he said.

In addition to seeing more reenactors and more cannons than ever, spectators also help raise funds for good causes since proceeds from ticket sales are donated to nonprofit groups and charities, said Dale Parvin, Moorpark Rotary Club member.

Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $12 for children. Discounts for advance sales are available online at moorparkrotary.com.

Food will be sold on site so attendees can enjoy lunch and snacks in between battles and visits to the Union and Confederate camps that depict life as it was during America’s Civil War.

“It’s important to tell the public that this is a way of having history come to life before you,” Mann said.

Doors open at 10 a.m. both days.

Rain dates are Nov. 14 and 15.

Organizers will host a special preview event for some Moorpark Unified School District students the day before the event opens to the public.