Yorktown plans Victory Weekend celebration featuring concerts, a parade and an outdoor movie

YORKTOWN – Yorktown is celebrating its pivotal influence on U.S. history with a big weekend of celebrations leading up to Yorktown Day.

A four-day lineup of events will unfold Oct. 16 – 19 to commemorate the 1781 Siege at Yorktown, which paved the way to American independence. 

The festivities kick off on Friday at 7 p.m. with a high-energy concert headlined by Platinum-certified country artist Michael Ray. 

Sponsored by York County and Visit Williamsburg, the concert will offer an evening of “chart-topping hits and patriotic spirit,” according to York County Marketing & Communications Manager Diedre Roesch.

A “surprise finale” will conclude the show, Roesch noted.

Ray, whose professional music career began in 2010, is best-known for his four No. 1 chart-toppers, including “Think A Little Less,” “Whiskey and Rain,” “Kiss You in the Morning” and “One That Got Away.” 

The Nashville-based musician has sold more than 650,000 album equivalents, amassed 2 billion global streams and garnered more than 150 million YouTube views.

Tickets for the concert are $15 for General Admission. A limited number of VIP Experience tickets can be purchased for $25.

Free parking will be offered throughout Historic Yorktown and York Hall, the York-Poquoson Courthouse, County Administration Building, Riverwalk Landing Parking Terrace and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

The Yorktown Trolley, which is complimentary and ADA-accessible, will operate from 6 to 9:30 p.m. The concert will be held rain or shine.

On Saturday, the celebration continues with the Victory Market at Riverwalk Landing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Vendors will be on site with all-American fare and French-inspired treats, and visitors will be able to shop from local artists offering Americana-inspired art, woodwork and glassware.

Other highlights of the event, hosted by Yorktown Market Days, include a chef’s demo by The Kitchen from The Virginia Beer Company, children’s games and activities and live music by The Liberty Dolls. Admission is free.

The celebration moves to the Yorktown Victory Monument in the evening as Colonial National Park hosts “Hamilton With Hamilton.”

The event will feature a live conversation with an Alexander Hamilton reenactor, followed by an outdoor screening of Hamilton, the movie musical.

Colonial National Historical Park Superintendent Jerri Marr said the program retraces the journey toward American independence through a combination of history, entertainment and live storytelling.

“This fun, free, family-friendly event enables visitors to connect the Hamilton story with the place where he played a pivotal role in American and French forces securing the decisive victory over the British,” said Marr. “It’s a meaningful way to experience history while looking ahead to the 250th anniversary of the Surrender at Yorktown in 2031.”

A conversation and Q&A with “Alexander Hamilton,” portrayed by Luke Nathan Phillips, begins at 6:30 p.m. The movie screening is scheduled for 7 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early to secure their spot on the lawn.

While admission is free, registration is required. Lawn chairs, flashlights and bug spray are encouraged, and guests are permitted to bring food and non-alcoholic drinks. 

Hamilton With Hamilton will be held rain or shine but will be canceled should severe weather occur. For more information, call 757-898-2410.

The VA250 Mobile Museum will be on site at the Yorktown Battlefield, Friday through Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hands-on, immersive “museum on wheels” was created to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. 

Housed in an expandable tractor-trailer, the museum travels to local organizations and events, highlighting important stories of Virginia’s early history.

Additionally, the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown will celebrate Victory Weekend with special activities on both Saturday and Sunday, including artillery firings, exhibits and interpretive programs examining the siege.

Saturday’s programming lineup features martial music played by the Fifes and Drums of York Town and an 18th-century-style puppet show about the siege, inspired by the kinds of entertainment that would have been enjoyed by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. 

Alexander Hamilton, portrayed by Phillips, will be available to greet visitors at the Continental Army Encampment on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m.

Admission to the museum is free for residents of James City County, York County and the City of Williamsburg with proof of residency.

The festivities conclude with Yorktown Day on Monday.

A wreath-laying ceremony will start off the morning at 8:15 a.m., followed by a commemorative ceremony at 9 a.m. at the French Memorial.

Other notable highlights include the Yorktown Day Parade on Historic Main Street at 10:30 a.m. and a live performance by the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment Fife & Drums Corps and the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard performances at the Victory Monument.

The Custom House will open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the Historic Nelson House on Main Street and Poor Potter Site on Reed Street will be open from 1 – 4 p.m.

York County offices – including York County libraries, voter registration services, York-Poquoson Social Services and county government offices – will be closed on Monday in celebration of Yorktown Day. 

For additional information on Victory Weekend and Yorktown Day, visit visityorktown.org.