It really depends–I expect some events have more complex battles. The ones I’ve attended are pretty short (an hour to an hour and a half). At the upcoming event at Old Wade House in Wisconsin, there’s a battle at 11:00 and another at 2:00. At Muskets and Memories (Boscobel/Platteville), the battle was about an hour, followed by the medical demonstrations.
Here’s the schedule for the Boscobel event Schedule --as you can see, the actual battles aren’t that long. It’s generally very hot and the soldiers are in heavy wool garments. Even if they die early in the battle, they will end up lying in the sun until the medical orderlies can get out with stretchers to carry them off. Since my son is part of the medical team (he excels at filling condoms with tapioca to make pus bombs that can be exploded at appropriate times when treating abscesses; he also assists with ampuations), we end up pretty busy after the battle as well.
Oh man - this much reality??!?! Ok, you guys have me stoked now 
I just thought of another thing. We usually bring ear plugs. We like to sit by the cannons. It’s fun to watch them load, “aim” and fire. Also fun to watch them struggle to move the cannons. But it can be very loud. So those cheap $1 or $2 ear plugs can be nice to have.
As noted above, there are some restrictions on where you can go. And sometimes the restrictions are greater for reenactors. For example: The soldiers’ camp is open to the public during certain hours. You are free to roam around, talk to the soldiers, watch them drill, cook, care for their horses, clean their guns. But, if you are a woman dressed in civil war era clothing, you cannot enter the camp without a male escort (dressed appropriately, of course).
The women’s teas and socials are closed to men, and you have to be dressed appropriately. Likewise, the formal ball requires civil war era clothing.
So how was it? Did you have fun? Did she have fun? Did you end up spending a lot? Enquiring minds want to know.
We had a really great time! I told her I would go to others any time she wanted.
We did end up getting there later than I wanted. She didn’t want to leave till noon, and just wanted to watch the battle, really. She recently had knee surgery so I think she was timid about walking around (even tho I told her 10 times to bring her crutches).
Anyway, we ended up watching the battle on tiptoe, but she was mesmerized anyway. Then we walked through the Union camp, which was kind of quiet yet.
We stopped at a tent that had some real artillery artifacts and some reproductions to look at.
We went to the “field hospital” which was just a display tent but we learned a lot from the re-enactors there. That was very very interesting.
Then we went to the “sutlers” area and browsed the shops. Her favorite thing was a Civil War sheet music book they had, with words to songs. She didn’t buy it tho. We also learned the word for that crocheted net thing that a woman wears over the back of her hair…but I’ve already forgotten.
The last thing we did was go back through the Union camp again. There was a group of guys there with deer tails wrapped around their military-issue hats, so I asked them what that meant (they were the Bucktail Regiment from Pennsylvania). Then we ended up talking to him for a half hour, asking all sorts of questions. He was nice enough to talk out of character - I really wanted to know how the guys on the field know when to die. I also wanted to know the possibility of women joining a regiment.
Anyway, it was pretty cool. I got the impression that it wasn’t considered a “large” re-enactment by most of the re-enactors there, but it was fun nonetheless. Now we know the drill so we can get there on time next year.
Thanks all so much for your help - it was a huge plus!!
Glad you had a good time! I believe the Bucktail reenactors are based in or near Pittsburgh. The original regiment guarded the White House for awhile during the Civil War.