Photo Credit: Colonial Williamsburg

Start making plans now to celebrate America’s Independence Day where our nation’s history started – Williamsburg, Virginia.  The 4th of July is even more poignant when spent in an area that was home to so many of the significant moments that led to the American Revolution, and our nation’s independence.  Colonial Williamsburg hosts a variety of events commemorating America’s birthday.  Read on for more information.

Colonial Williamsburg’s 4th of July events include:

• Dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence
• Soaring patriotic music
• Fifes and Drums
• Picnic at the Governor’s Palace
• Salute to the original 13 states
• Music by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra
• Dazzling Fireworks display

The salute to the original 13 states will feature music performed by the Fifes and Drums, flags of each state, the firing of muskets and cannon.  Visitors can also take in “I hear America Singing” at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum.  During the program old-time songs and dance tunes grounded in traditional Americana and the British Isles are performed.  There are two performances on July 4 – one at 1:30pm and the other at 3:30pm.

When night falls, fireworks will light up the sky.  The show can be seen from Palace Green and Market Square.

More details regarding 4th of July in Williamsburg are coming soon!

You’re invited to take a delicious tour around the world at Busch Gardens Williamsburg during their first annual Food and Wine Festival.  The event is featured Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from May 31 – June 23, 2013.  You can sample superb delicacies from across the globe while you stroll through America’s most beautiful theme park. 

Stop by the Food and Wine Festival Welcome Center before you begin your tour.  You can pick up a special event guide that will aide you during your culinary adventure, as well as browse culinary themed merchandise and sign up for special experiences like wine tastings and celebrity chef visits.  From there, begin your tour of countries such as Austria, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and many more. 

Be sure to make time for activities like Grape Smashers, Cooking Live and The Art of Food.  At Grape Smashers you can enjoy an interactive grape stomping show that puts a new spin on a classic Italian tradition. During Cooking Live Chef Virginia Willis performs live cooking demonstrations at Il Teatro di San Marco.  Then, watch ordinary food become extraordinary art in Ireland, France and Italy at The Art of Food.

Exclusive experiences are also available.   Take a Wine on the Rhine Cruise for an additional $16, choose a French Wine Tasting for an extra $14.95 or indulge on a guided Food and Wine VIP Tour for an additional $100. 

Admission to the Food and Wine Festival is included with Busch Gardens tickets.  Individual tastings range in price from $3-$7.

Williamsburg Plantation

Make the most of your vacation in Williamsburg by staying at Williamsburg hotels with indoor pool.  Dive in and make a splash when you reserve room with access to a year-round place to swim and play.  From historic hotels to sprawling resorts with waterparks, you’re sure to find a place to stay that fits your vacation needs.

A few of the Williamsburg hotels with indoor pool include:

• Great Wolf Lodge
• Hampton Inn & Suites
• King’s Creek Plantation
• Williamsburg Plantation

Some hotels with indoor pools in Williamsburg, VA feature not only an indoor pool but other aquatic features as well.  Children’s pools, indoor hot tubs and even waterslides are featured at hotels in Williamsburg.  One of the best resorts families can choose for aquatic fun is Great Wolf Lodge.  Their on-site water park offers almost 80,000 square feet of space to splash and play.

The upcoming weekend in Williamsburg, Virginia will celebrate the traditions of 18th century military music and explore the important roles of the fifes and drums players.  Units from around the United States, as well as Canada, will join the Colonial Williamsburg’s Fifes and Drums for a soaring display of period music.  Family-friendly and fun, the Drummers Call weekend in Williamsburg is set for May 17 through May 19, 2013.

Drummers Call events include:

Successful Campaign: May 17, 7:30 PM
The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums celebrate the 10th anniversary of Drummers Call with a concert of traditional 18th-century military music. The Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes and Drums from Medford, Mass., will share the stage as featured guest unit. $18

Grand March and Review: May 18, 12:00 PM
Experience a stirring display of 18th-century military music in this celebration of the 10th anniversary of Drummers Call. The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums and fife and drum units from the United States and Canada will perform A Grand March from the Capitol building to Market Square, followed by the Grand Review behind the Courthouse.

Williamsburg Military Tattoo: May 18, 8:30 PM
Originally a call to soldiers to return to the barracks before curfew, military tattoos became more general displays by army troops--even an entertainment. Join us for a thrilling torchlit march featuring the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums and guest units from the U.S. and Canada.

To Arms: May 19, 11:00 AM
Watch as soldiers and field musicians--fifes and drums--from various military units active during the American Revolution demonstrate marching and firing.

Drummers Call is included in Colonial Williamsburg tickets.

Head to Busch Gardens Williamsburg to see some of the biggest names in music perform live this summer!  From May 12 through August 25, 2013, park goers are treated to exclusive concerts free of charge.   That means, with the purchase of Busch Gardens tickets you’ll get access to exciting rides and attractions, entertaining shows, European-themed adventures and get to see some of your favorite performers LIVE in concert! 

 

Busch Gardens Live line-up:

• May 12 - Styx
• May 25 - Coco Jones
• May 26 - Austin Mahone
• June 30 - Scotty McCreery
• Aug. 17 - KC and the Sunshine Band
• Aug. 24 - Bridgit Mendler
• Aug. 25 - Hot Chelle Rae

Concerts will be held at the Busch Gardens’ Royal Palace Theatre, start at 7pm. 

Put on your dancing shoes for “Shagging on the Riverwalk.”  The annual event features a variety of beach music sure to entertain visitors of all ages.  The free event is held every Thursday this summer, from 6:30pm to 9:30pm.  Bring a lawn chair or a blanket to enjoy a concert under the stars. 

The full schedule for the “Shagging on the Riverwalk” Concert Series: 

• Thursday, June 06, 2013: Band of Oz  
• Thursday, June 13, 2013: The Embers
• Thursday, June 20, 2013: Atlantic Groove Band
• Thursday, July 11, 2013: The Rhondels
• Thursday, July 18, 2013: Mark Roberts and Breeze
• Thursday, July 25, 2013: The Main Event Band
• Thursday, August 01, 2013: The Holiday Band  

Riverwalk Landing is a beautiful waterfront destination for shopping and dining. Enjoy a variety of fine retail stores and restaurants along with a beach and two piers. A mile-long pedestrian walkway links the Yorktown Battlefield with the Yorktown Victory Center. Enjoy great views of the York River as you stroll along.

June 1-2, 7-9, 14-16, 21-23: Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival
Take a delicious tour of the world’s most beautiful theme park at the first-annual Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival. Sample authentic tastes from across Europe every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the month of June. This all-new event will feature superb foods, wines and other refreshments not usually found at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

June 1-2: Run for the Dream
The third annual Run for the Dream event features an 8K Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run on Saturday, June 1 and a half marathon on Sunday, June 2. Both courses wind through the Revolutionary City and parts of downtown Williamsburg.

June 1-30:  "Seed to Stalk" Theme Month
Visitors to Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center can get hands-on experience and learn the many practical uses of herbs, vegetables, and field crops during the month of June.

June 7 – August 2:  Shagging on the Riverwalk Concert Series
Head to the Riverwalk Landing in Historic Yorktown on Thursdays for free concerts. Bring lawn chairs or blankets and take part in the live dancing demonstrations.

June 9:  Lamb’s Artillery at Yorktown Battlefield
Witness firings from a replica 18-pounder siege gun, similar to what was used during the 1781 Siege of Yorktown. A volunteer unit will depict the 2nd Continental Artillery Regiment commanded by Colonel John Lamb.

June 22: Party on the Pier
From 6:30pm-9:30pm, enjoy live music by the Slapnation Band and a barbecue dinner by Beach Bully Barbecue on the ships’ pier at Jamestowne Settlement. Tickets are $20 in advance/$25 at the door ($10 in advance for children 3-12). Proceeds benefit educational programming at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center. Tickets are limited and go on sale June 1; call (757) 253-4219 for more information.

June 23:  Royal Artillery at Yorktown Battlefield
Watch a volunteer unit as they depict the British Royal Artillery at the 1781 Siege of Yorktown. A replica British cannon will be fired

June 28-30: Under the Redcoat
Colonial Williamsburg presents Under the Redcoat, an event examining how life in 18th-century Williamsburg changed when the British Army took charge.  Watch as soldiers raise the British flag over the Capitol and hear the terms of occupation read to the people.