Schedule of Events for July 4 Celebrations and Fireworks in Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg Fireworks start at 9:30 pm.
Where is the best place to see July 4th fireworks in Colonial Williamsburg? BEST FIREWORKS VIEWING LOCATIONS: Palace Green, Market Square, and the East Lawn of the Art Museum
Here is your list hour by hour of events going on in Colonial Williamsburg (including fireworks) on July 4th!
This year make sure to get your FREE Admission ticket online to Colonial Williamsburg on July 4th – In celebration of our nation’s birth, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is offering free admission to the Historic Area and the Art Museums on July 4 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. GET YOUR TICKET
Here is a short list (image) of events – keep scrolling past this image below for the long list of events that you can attend (free) with your free July 4th Ticket. If there is an additional ticket fee it is noted.
What are all the events happening in Colonial Williamsburg on July 4th? There is a lot of programming for locals and visitors to attend during the Birthday of our Nation plus a beautiful display of fireworks. The day will start as it has in past years with the Reading of the Declaration of Independence….
keep scrolling for the entire list!
July 4th Full Schedule of Events Colonial Williamsburg:
9:30 a.m – 9:50 a.m. – Reading of the Declaration of Independence – Gather with the citizens of Williamsburg on July 25, 1776 to hear a reading of the Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jefferson. With members of the CW Fifes & Drums. At the Capitol West Balcony. No Event Ticket Required
10:30 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. – Salute to the States – Set to the pomp & pageantry of the CW Fifes & Drums, The Virginia Military Garrison presents musket volley salutes in commemoration of the 247th anniversary of the birth of our nation and salute to the original thirteen states of the Union. Market Square North (behind Courthouse). No Event Ticket Required.
Hands-on: Daily Life – 9 am to 5 pm – free with your free July 4th Admission ticket. Create memorable experiences as you participate in the daily activities of the Geddy House, a prospering trades home. Activities change regularly with the rhythm of an average 18th-century day. Discover various interactive, sensory, and fun opportunities for families throughout the Geddy House.
Tour: Designer in Residence – 9 am to 12 pm (Separate ticket event) Explore the interior of the oldest frame house in Virginia (circa 1695) and discover how Hillegas reimagined these spaces for today using paints, fabrics, wallpapers, and more from the WILLIAMSBURG licensed lines, as well as antiques and décor curated to complete the story. The tour will go room by room (keep reading and book event here)
Tour: Freedom’s Paradox – 10 am to 11 am – Take a 60-minute walking tour of the Randolph Yard, Market Square, and Palace Green. Examine slavery’s evolution and the reliance upon it by patriots like Peyton Randolph to build a city, a colony, and eventually a nation. Explore the paradox of the institution of slavery and the movement for independence by looking at the experiences of the free and enslaved members of the Randolph Household. Space is limited for this program. Part of your free admission ticket
Performance: Family Theater – Shows at 10:30 am and 11:30 am – Part of your Free July 4th Admission Ticket – The Jug Broke Theatre Co. presents from their repertoire of plays, ballad operas, and music bringing the spirit of 18th-century theatre to you! Theatre was a vital part of the colonial Williamsburg community; experience the power of enjoying theatre together as a family. Fun and family friendly.
11 a.m. – 5 p.m.- Shields Tavern Independence Day Buffet – AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL: 200 YEARS IN THE MAKING 11:00AM – 5:00PM This event is your opportunity to secure your pre-paid reservations for a delicious buffet at Shields Tavern. Plan to add this event to your full day of patriotic festivities in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. Visit here to see menu and make your reservation
Independent Day Auction – 11 am to 12 pm – This is something cool! Head to Market Square and bid on select items from CW stores as well as one-of-a-kind auction items found nowhere else – its the July 4th Auction right outside in Market Square! The assortment changes for each auction. Listen for the auction bell! Free to attend and open to the public.
12:00 p.m.- 12:20 p.m. – Noon Reading of the Declaration of Independence – Residents of the 18th-century Williamsburg community read the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the Courthouse and surrounding area. With members of the CW Fifes & Drums and Virginia State Garrison Regiment. No Event Ticket Required – Open to the Public
Conversation: Meet a Nation Builder – 12 – 1:30 PM – Palace Green – Find a Nation Builder, a significant figure of 18th-century Williamsburg, around the Palace Green for some informal conversation – free and open to the public
Performance: Voices of the Past – 12:15 pm and 2:30 pm Charlton Stage – part of your free July 4th admission ticket. This series of museum theater programs explores the connections between the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of 18th-century people and people of today.
Tour: Stables Behind-The-Scenes – 1 pm to 2 pm – Treat the animal lover in your life to this one-hour walking tour of Colonial Williamsburg’s modern stables and Rare Breeds Program. During this behind-the-scenes tour, you’ll see some of our animals, discuss their care, and may see a carriage get hitched. (extra fee $8 per person + your free July 4th admission ticket) learn more
Special Event: The Cost of Freedom – 1:30 pm – 2:15 pm – Hennage Auditorium in the Art Museum of Colonial Williamsburg – Part of your July 4th free admission ticket. Join two Nation Builders to discuss the Cost of Freedom during the formation of the United States; the impact on soldiers and civilians in the war, the fight for religious freedom and separation of church and state, the arguments at the Constitutional Convention regarding the Bill of Rights, the self-liberation and emancipation of some enslaved people and the return to and continuance of bondage for others, the impact on families that stayed intact and those that were split apart, etc. Speak with the Nation Builders, and the individuals who portray them, to give context to the ins and outs of their 18th-century world.
Presentation: Musket Demonstration – July 4, 1 pm – 4 pm – Magazine Yard – The musket was the best tool for warfare during the 18th century and into the 19th century. A member of Colonial Williamsburg’s Military Programs staff will demonstrate the loading and firing of the musket using a loading procedure from an 18th-century military manual that was common for the period. Experience the sounds and smells a soldier experienced during the Revolution. More info
Conversation: Meet a Person of the Past – 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm – Williams Pitt Store – Find people of the past near Wetherburn’s Tavern for some informal conversation or activity. No admission ticket needed.
Jocelyn Oldham LIVE on the Social Terrace – 3 pm – 7 pm – Come relax at the Social Terrace the expansive patio with bar, live music and food on July 4th, 2023. Plus enjoy music from singer and guitarist Jocelyn Oldham at the Social Terrace from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. July 4th event hours are from 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. Open to the public. There is even a special July 4th Menu – this is the perfect way to spend your July 4th afternoon and evening before the fireworks over the Governors Palace in Colonial Williamsburg!
Music: Early American – 4:30 to 5:30 pm – This is a perfect way to cool down from the heat and enjoy some American music! Head to the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. Enjoy music that has come from distant shores to become the music of Early America. Each week, explore the origins of beloved music we think of as essentially American, with featured performers such as Kelly Kennedy, Barry and Lynn Trott, John Turner, Timothy Seaman, and others. Presented in conjunction with our exhibition “Making Music in Early America.” Part of your FREE July 4th admission ticket.
8:00-9:30 p.m. – LIGHTS OF FREEDOM – A PYROTECHNIC CELEBRATION – Palace Green. As prelude to the July 4th Fireworks at Colonial Williamsburg, Palace Green comes to life with a celebration of the words and music of the American Revolution. Highlights include a reading of the Declaration of Independence, American marching music of the Revolution, a patriotic sing-along, and selections from Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks performed by the CW Fifes & Drums Sr. Corps. culminating in a grand fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.
9:30 p.m. – FIREWORKS
Fireworks display above the Governor’s Palace; the heart-pounding, 20-minute fireworks display begins at 9:30 PM. and can be seen from Palace Green, Market Square and the eastern side of the Lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
For more Colonial Williamsburg Events visit them online or visit Colonial Williamsburg and to see more events in the Williamsburg & Yorktown area on July 4th visit here.
