When it comes to the birth of America, no other place in the country played a more significant role than the Historic Triangle. So, it is only fitting that Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown are planning to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary in grand fashion. From festivals to concerts, art displays, and more, there is plenty to do in the region to honor America.
SET SAIL
Those who love life on the water will want to check out the Sail Yorktown Festival, an official SailVirginia 2026 Affiliate Harbor slated June 12 through June 14 along the waterfront in Yorktown. Various tall ships and military vessels will be on display, including Jamestown Settlement’s Godspeed, a replica of one of the three ships that made the historic voyage from England to America in 1607. The three-day spectacular will include an opening ceremony and sail parade, free deck tours of the ships, food trucks, family activities and live musical entertainment, including performances by the Fifes & Drums of Yorktown and Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra.
The event is part of a week-long commemoration in June in which 4,000 officers, cadets, and crews aboard 55 ships from 20 countries will travel throughout the Chesapeake Bay region, participating in a variety of patriotic programming. Similar fetes will be held in Chesapeake, Hampton, Portsmouth, Richmond, Smithfield, and Virginia Beach, as well as the Eastern Shore. (https://www.visityorktown.org/821/Sail-Yorktown-Festival)
FOR HISTORY AND ART LOVERS
Colonial Williamsburg, once the capital of Virginia and the hub of revolutionary activity, is hosting a many historical reenactments, educational programs, museum exhibitions, concerts, and other community celebrations leading up to Independence Day and beyond. One notable event is The Flame of Revolution: Fifth Virginia Convention scheduled for May 15 and 16, an immersive theatrical experience commemorating the pivotal Fifth Virginia Convention on May 15, 1776, which debated the issue of declaring independence from England. Visitors will have the opportunity to watch interpreters as they reenact the key historical moments that lead to the fateful vote that solidified support for revolution. (www.colonialwilliamsburg.org)
History buffs should also plan visits to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and Jamestown Settlement for special exhibits and programming. At the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, the exhibition Fresh Views of the American Revolution, which runs through August 31, highlights new perspectives on the ideals and legacies of the time period through the folk art of Oscar de Mejo created during the 1976 bicentennial. More than a dozen of de Mejo’s paintings are showcased, including The Declaration of Independence.
On July 1, the museum will debut Virginia & the Forging of a Nation, its signature exhibit marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, in partnership with the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. The attraction will spotlight the people, sites, and events in Virginia that helped the shaping of a new nation and feature a rare 1833 printing of the Declaration of Independence from the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation collection.
Meanwhile, Jamestown Settlement has a special exhibit on view until July 12 that traces the beginnings of what would later become America. Following the Dragon: Chinese Ming Porcelain in Early Jamestown, boasts porcelain artifacts that reveal the connection of the early colony of Jamestown with imperial China. (https://www.jyfmuseums.org/).
Art enthusiasts will admire The Great American Birthday Quilt, a project spearheaded by Visit Williamsburg, the region’s tourism organization, along with Steve Prince, Director of Engagement and Distinguished Artist in Residence at William & Mary’s Muscarelle Museum of Art. Everyday Americans from all 50 states were invited to participate in “stitching their story” onto a square, which were collectively made into a quilt honoring the nation’s past, present, and future. The 500-foot-long quilt, which was unveiled in April and is on display at Colonial Williamsburg’s Visitor Center through the end of this year, was inspired by the original 1976 Bicentennial quilt. More than 2,000 squares were submitted. The intent of the project is for citizens not only to share a patch, “but to reflect, to leave a piece of themselves in a quilt that will tell America’s story for generations,” said Prince. “Like America, quilting is layered, collaborative, and expressive. Each square holds a voice, a memory, a dream, stitched into the national narrative with shared threads of hope.”
Muscarelle Museum of Art will also feature a similar display, America’s Tapestry, on view June 19 through September 6. The exhibit will boast 13 hand-embroidered panels, one for each of the original colonies. Each of the panels, stitched by artists from New Hampshire to Georgia, tells a unique story drawn from each state’s Revolutionary-era history.
“The 250th anniversary of the United States is a wonderful opportunity to dig deeper into specific experiences of the American Revolution,” said David Brashear, director of the Muscarelle Museum of Art. “Many people remember learning about the larger narratives of our history. But what makes America’s Tapestry exceptional is the way it reveals individual stories in a way that makes the struggle for independence feel more immediate and universal.” (https://muscarelle.wm.edu/)
4TH OF JULY FUN
Yorktown’s day-long Fourth of July commemoration of red-white-and-blue will feature a parade along Main Street and a 5K Run in the morning, with a stirring bell-ringing ceremony in the evening, as well as a patriotic concert featuring Good Shot Judy and a grand fireworks finale overlooking the York River. (https://www.visityorktown.org/).
Colonial Williamsburg will host Independence Day festivities over multiple days beginning July 2 and continuing through July 5. Among the events are public readings of the Declaration of Independence, a salute to the original 13 colonies, live musical and theatre performances, The Great American Dance Party, visits with historic interpreters portraying George and Martha Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette and other figures, crafts and other family-friendly entertainment, all culminating with a spectacular fireworks display. (https://www.visitwilliamsburg.com/event/fourth-of-july-at-colonial-williamsburg/2115/).
As part of the celebrations, PBS will hold a two-hour special broadcast, America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together, live from Colonial Williamsburg beginning at 8 p.m. on July 4. “This exciting partnership is grounded in shared values: educating every American, engaging with every community, and inspiring a season of civic renewal that energizes and unifies us,” said Carly Fiorina, National Honorary Chair of VA250. “As the birthplace of our nation, Virginia belongs to every American. As we come together on July 4, 2026 to celebrate 250 years of independence, it is Virginia’s honor to welcome America home.”
OTHER EVENTS
Commemorations in the Historic Triangle will continue beyond Independence Day. Those planning to visit the region in the fall can partake in activities honoring victory at Yorktown and the war’s end in 1783 with Yorktown Day festivities on October 17 and 18. The event will include a parade, as well as artillery firings, exhibits, and interpretive programs highlighting the crucial American French alliance. A month later, visitors can join in on a celebration honoring Colonial Williamsburg’s 100 years on Nov. 14.
Visitors can enhance their experience with the Williamsburg 250 Passport, a mobile pass featuring exclusive offers, discounts, and curated experiences across the Historic Triangle. For a complete list of 250 activities, visit https://www.visitwilliamsburg.com/williamsburg-250/.
Visit Williamsburg (www.visitwilliamsburg.com) will host a variety of programming this year to mark America’s 250th birthday. Here are some of the highlights:
Following the Dragon: Chinese Ming Porcelain in Early Jamestown, Jamestown Settlement, now through July 12, www.jyfmuseums.org/events/special-exhibits/following-the-dragon
- Fresh Views of the American Revolution, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, now through Aug. 31, www.jyfmuseums.org/events/special-exhibits/fresh-views
- Jamestown Day, Jamestown Settlement, May 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., www.jyfmuseums.org/events/programs-activities/jamestown-day May 9, 8:15 p.m. to 9 p.m., www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/events/americanmosaic-williamsburg-symphony/
- The Flame of Revolution: 5th VA Convention, May 15-16, 8:30 p.m., www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/events/the-flame-of-revolution-5th-va-convention/
- Memorial Day Commemoration, Colonial Williamsburg, May 25, 10 a.m., www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/events/memorial-day-commemoration/
- Drummer’s Call, Colonial Williamsburg, May 29-31, www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/visit/through-the-seasons/drummers-call/
- 250th Anniversary of the First Virginia Declaration of Rights, Colonial Williamsburg, June 12-13, 1 p.m., www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/events/first-virginia-declaration-of-rights/?date=2026-06-12
- Sail Yorktown Festival, an official Sail Virginia 2026 Affiliate Harbor, Yorktown waterfront, June 12-14,
- www.visityorktown.org/821/Sail-Yorktown-Festival
- America’s Tapestry, Muscarelle Museum of Art, June 19-Sept. 6, muscarelle.wm.edu/exhibition/americas-tapestry-13-colonies-13- stories-1-nation/
- Give Me Liberty: Virginia & the Forging of a Nation, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, July 1-Jan. 31, 2027, www.jyfmuseums.org/events/special-exhibits/give-me-liberty
- Fourth of July at Colonial Williamsburg, July 2-5, www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/visit/through-the-seasons/fourth-of-july/
- Independence Day Celebration, Yorktown, July 4, 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., www.visitwilliamsburg.com/event/independence-day-celebration/2195/
- Yorktown 1781: Before the Siege, Sept. 12-13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., www.visitwilliamsburg.com/event/yorktown-1781%3a-before-the-siege/1317/
- Constitution Day Celebration, Colonial Williamsburg, Sept. 17, www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/visit/through-the-seasons/constitution-day/
- Yorktown Victory Celebration and Yorktown Day, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown Oct. 17-19
- www.jyfmuseums.org/events/programs-activities/yorktown-victory-celebration
- 100th Anniversary Celebration of Colonial Williamsburg, Nov. 14, www.visitwilliamsburg.com/event/100-anniversary-celebration-of-colonial-williamsburg/2148/