I used to know a couple guys who were historical reenactors -- one reenacted as a Hessian and the other as a continental...The amount of research they'd put in to get every minute detail historically correct -- the buttons, the fabric, the type of leather used for this accoutrement versus that accoutrement, etc. -- bordered on breathtaking. Then the column would go marching by to period-correct fife and drum tunes, with a scattering of females mixed in. Hessian grenadiers storming across a field, with girls leading the charge.
At least their corncob pipes were spot-on.
For a couple of years, my youngest son was part of the Honor Guard at Fort We-Gotch-Ya and really got a lot out of it. It gave him a lot of satisfaction and he felt very proud of the way they approached these special details and teams.