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Unlike any Independence Day celebration before it, the country’s 250th birthday is shaping up to be a nationwide event — although few other states are celebrating quite like the Old Dominion. Here are a few of the summer’s many events honoring America’s landmark anniversary in and around Richmond.
Richmond
“Titus Kaphar and Junius Brutus Stearns: Pictures More Famous Than the Truth”
Through July 26, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Nineteenth-century paintings of George Washington by Stearns are juxtaposed with Kaphar’s imaginative contemporary art and sculptural depictions of the same portraits. Free. vmfa.museum
“We the People: The World in Our Commonwealth”
Through Sept. 7, Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Personal narratives, both contemporary and historic, from 68 individuals who immigrated to Virginia. Tickets $15. virginiahistory.org
“Dissent! Liberty & Loyalty in Early Richmond”
Through Jan. 31, 2027, The Valentine
Explore the differing viewpoints of Richmond residents during the Revolutionary War and the first 60 years of American independence. Tickets $12. thevalentine.org
“Liberty or Death” Reenactment
Sundays beginning June 7, Historic St. John’s Church
Professional actors in 18th-century attire reenact the Second Virginia Convention of March 1775, culminating in Patrick Henry's ‘Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death’ speech. Tickets $15. historicstjohnschurch.org
“Oh, Henry! A Revolutionary Life”
June 7, Historic St. John’s Church
In a new traveling production, specially produced for America 250, an aging Patrick Henry narrates scenes from his life. Tickets $12. historicstjohnschurch.org
Richmond Pops Presents “Celebrating America’s 250th”
June 7, Altria Theater
The Richmond Pops ensemble performs celebratory music, featuring vocal soloist Bianca Bryan and jazz saxophone artist Steve Ambrose. Free, but tickets are required. richmondpops.com
Richmond SailFest
June 12-14, City of Richmond and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Weekend festival featuring tall ships, entertainment, historical re-enactors, art exhibitions, and Saturday fireworks over the James. Free, but timed tickets are required for ship tours. virginiahistory.org
“Envisioning Revolution: Virginians in Action”
June 13 (opening celebration), Library of Virginia
Portraits by students at Old Dominion University of Virginians featured in Revolution-era legislative petitions are paired with related research to explore the diverse voices and revolutionary spirit of the time. Open through Dec. 31. Free. lva.virginia.gov
Juneteenth Celebrations
June 13-14, The Devil’s Half Acre (Lumpkin’s Jail) and Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground: Elegba Folklore Society’s annual commemoration includes a walk along the Trail of Enslaved Africans, music, dance, children’s activities, food, shopping and more. Free, but registration is required. efsinc.org
June 20, Dorey Park, Henrico County: Music, art, food, entertainment, vendor fair, children’s activities and more. Free. henrico.gov
Roots of Revolution: Shockoe Bottom Walking Tour
June 14, The Valentine
A museum tour guide leads guests through one of Richmond’s oldest historic districts, which was both a center of the domestic slave trade and the birthplace of American religious liberty. Tickets $20. thevalentine.org
VMHC IllumiNATION
June 25-28, Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Video art projection on the VMHC’s facade will use light, music and imagery to tell the story of America. Free. virginiahistory.org
Dissent! A Revolutionary Richmond Bus Tour
June 28, The Valentine
Hear untold stories and earn how the Revolutionary War transformed Richmond from a small town to a city at the center of state and national politics. Tickets $50 and include admission to The Valentine’s “Dissent!” exhibit before or after the tour. thevalentine.org
“America at 250: A Celebration Through Art”
July 1-31, Crossroads Art Center
Wide-ranging exhibit of works that reflects the spirit, history, culture and future of America. Free. crossroadsartcenter.com
Red, White & Splash Bash
July 3, Stony Point Fashion Park
Lawn games, crafts, giveaways, restaurant specials, a DJ and more. All of the mall’s summer events will include at least one “act of community,” such as bookbag donations, planting flowers locally and donating meals. Free. shopstonypoint.com
A Henrico Fourth: Two-Day Celebration
July 3, Dorey Park
July 4, Crump Park
Henrico hosts celebrations in both the eastern and western sides of the county. Free. henrico.gov
Unforgotten Patriots: Virginia's Black Men & Women in the Revolutionary War
July 10, Library of Virginia
Genealogist Shelley Viola Murphy explores role of Black men and women in Virginia during the American Revolution, including the choices Black Virginians made as Patriots or Loyalists and how proclamations promising freedom reshaped the war. Free, but registration is required. lva.virginia.org
Virginia's Forgotten Founder: The World of Robert Carter Nicholas
Aug. 6, Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Author and historian Brent Tarter explains how a member of Virginia’s elite lived and the reasons he voted for independence. Free with $15 museum admission. virginiahistory.org
Vignettes of Colonial and Revolutionary Virginia
Nov. 5, Library of Virginia
How did ordinary people experience life in the colonial and Revolutionary eras? Historian and author Brent Tarter describes the commonwealth in the eras before and during the Revolution. Free, but registration is required. lva.virginia.gov
Land, Liberty and Loyalties: Virginia Indian Participation in the Revolutionary War
Nov. 10, Library of Virginia
Anthropologist Ashley Spivey and historian Katie Gibson explore the choices Indigenous peoples in Virginia faced during the Revolutionary War and how these decisions shaped their communities. Free, but registration is required. lva.virginia.gov
Around Virginia
Jefferson Remembers the Declaration
Wednesday-Saturday through July 31, Monticello, Charlottesville
A special guided theatrical experience inside the Monticello house featuring Thomas Jefferson, as interpreted by veteran historical interpreter Bill Barker. Tickets $150 monticello.org
Virginia Resolved: A Commemoration of Independence
June 6-7, Stratford Hall Historic Preserve, Stratford
The celebration of Richard Henry Lee’s Resolution for Independence features living history interpreters and demonstrations, cavalry drills, historic speeches, a citizenship ceremony, fireworks, food, music and more. stratfordhall.org
Declaration Day
June 13, George Mason’s Gunston Hall, Mason Neck
Celebrate the ratification of the Founding Father George Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights, which influenced the U.S. Bill of Rights. Events include music, tours and performances. The public is also invited to a naturalization ceremony on June 12. Free. gunstonhall.org
America. Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together
July 4, Colonial Williamsburg
Naturalization ceremony, music, speakers, fireworks, live broadcast on PBS.
Free, but tickets are required. colonialwilliamsburg.org
African Landing Day Commemoration
Aug. 22, Fort Monroe, Hampton
Details TBD. 1619landing.org
‘Kings Mountain’
Sept. 17-Oct. 31, Barter Theatre, Abingdon
The theatrical premiere of “Kings Mountain” shares the events surrounding the pivotal Revolutionary War battle and the Overmountain people, the soldiers and the enslaved Americans who were involved. Tickets start at $24. bartertheatre.com
250 Anniversary of the First Virginia General Assembly Meeting
Oct. 7, Colonial Capitol, Colonial Williamsburg
Details TBD. colonialwilliamsburg.org
