Williamsburg, VA

Local Events

Reenactments, heritage festivals, and living history programs — experience the Revolution where it happened.

Upcoming This Year

Oct

Ceremony

Yorktown Victory Celebration

Yorktown Battlefield (Colonial National Historical Park) and American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, Yorktown, VA

Annual commemoration of the Allied victory at the Battle of Yorktown on October 19, 1781, the decisive engagement that effectively ended the Revolutionary War. Held at nearby Yorktown Battlefield and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, the event features military reenactments, artillery demonstrations, wreath-laying ceremonies, patriotic speeches, and Continental Army encampment programs. Williamsburg's proximity and its role as the staging ground for Washington's army make this a closely linked regional event.

Free (Yorktown Battlefield); museum admission may apply for some programsOctober 19 or the nearest weekend; programming often spans multiple daysMore info →

Dec

Festival

Grand Illumination

Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area, Williamsburg, VA

One of Colonial Williamsburg's most beloved annual traditions, Grand Illumination features the lighting of candles in the windows of dozens of historic buildings along Duke of Gloucester Street, accompanied by fireworks, period music by fifes and drums, bonfires, and dramatic performances. The event evokes 18th-century celebrations of important public occasions and honors the colonial and Revolutionary heritage of Virginia's former capital.

Free to the public (no ticket required for outdoor portions)First Sunday in December; exact date varies by yearMore info →

Earlier This Year

Jul

FestivalFeatured

Colonial Williamsburg July 4th Celebration

Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area, Williamsburg, VA

Annual Independence Day celebration at Colonial Williamsburg featuring a public reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Colonial Capitol Building, fifes and drums parades, fireworks over the Governor's Palace, military encampments, and speeches by historical interpreters portraying Founding Fathers such as Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. The event commemorates Virginia's pivotal role in declaring independence, including Richard Henry Lee's resolution for independence proposed in this very capital.

Included with Colonial Williamsburg admission ticketJuly 4th annually; some programming may extend across the surrounding weekendMore info →

Mar

Reenactment

Williamsburg Under Siege

Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area, Williamsburg, VA

A large-scale Revolutionary War reenactment and living history program recreating the 1781 Siege of Yorktown and the military campaigns that brought Continental and French forces through Williamsburg. Features hundreds of reenactors, artillery demonstrations, camp life exhibits, and tactical scenarios staged on the historic grounds. Interpreters explain the alliance with France and the strategy that led to Cornwallis's surrender.

Included with Colonial Williamsburg admission ticketTypically held in mid-March; exact dates vary by year. Check Colonial Williamsburg's event calendar to confirm.More info →

May

Reenactment

Prelude to Independence

Colonial Capitol Building and Raleigh Tavern, Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, VA

A series of dramatic living history programs at the Colonial Capitol Building and Raleigh Tavern tracing the political debates of May and June 1776, when Virginia's Fifth Convention adopted George Mason's Declaration of Rights and instructed its delegates in Philadelphia to propose American independence. Costumed interpreters portray Patrick Henry, George Mason, Edmund Pendleton, and other delegates in heated deliberations that shaped the founding documents of the United States.

Included with Colonial Williamsburg admission ticketTypically late May through mid-June, coinciding with the historical timeline of the 1776 Virginia Convention. Contact Colonial Williamsburg to confirm exact programming dates.