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2009 Media Calendar


July | September | October | November | December | January 2010


July 4
Independence Day
The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Virginian Thomas Jefferson, was adopted on July 4th, 1776.  Celebrate our nation's birthday in Williamsburg with Fifes and Drums, militia parades and Colonial Williamsburg's famous evening program of fireworks in the Historic Area.  Experience the excitement of the founding of the nation that has become the United States of America. For information, call toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.

July 11-12
16th Annual Golden Horseshoe Invitational
Golden Horseshoe Golf Club
The Golden Horseshoe Invitational is a 36-hole, four-ball stroke play event. There will be a Mid-Amateur Championship and a Senior Championship (both players age 55 and over on July 10, 2009). The field will be limited to 56 teams. For information, call (757) 220-7696 or toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.

July 18-19
Jones Cup Father and Son Golf Tournament
Golden Horseshoe Golf Club
The Jones Cup, named for the famed golf course designer Robert Trent Jones Sr. and his son Rees, is a two-man team tournament. To be eligible for competition, teams must be father and son, stepfather and stepson, father-in-law and son-in-law, or grandfather and grandson. For information, call (757) 220-7696 or toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.

July 18-19
30th Anniversary of African American Programs Celebration Weekend
Sample a variety of African American history programs commemorating 30 years of telling the African American story in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. Guests will enjoy a variety of demonstrations, dramatic presentations and hands-on activities. Experience how African Americans in Revolutionary Virginia shaped a community as they fought for equality as citizens. For information, call toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.

September 20-22
“A very large curious & compleat Assortment”: Textiles for Interiors, 1730–1830
Williamsburg Woodlands Conference Center
An understanding of the design, construction, and materials of textile furnishings is of primary importance to scholars and designers who focus on the re-creation of traditional and historic interiors. For more than 25 years, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has taken the lead in reinterpreting the use of textiles in historic interiors from the 18th century.  This symposium gathers the leading American and English scholars in the field to review the design and composition of textile furnishings available between 1730 and 1830, including upholstery, bed and window treatments, and floor coverings. Complementing the lectures will be special tours in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area and optional workshops. Particular attention will be given to the accurate, yet practical, application of these design tenets for today’s interiors. Because it is becoming more and more difficult to find authentic reproduction textiles, hardware, passementerie and qualified fabricators, Colonial Williamsburg will provide a venue for well-respected vendors and booksellers who are able to supply the essential resources for fabricating authentic textile décor.  For more information, contact the conference registrar at (757) 220-7255 or toll-free at (800) 603-0948, online at www.history.org/conted, e-mail dchapman@cwf.org, fax (757) 565-8921 or write to: Office of Conferences, Forums and Workshops, P.O. Box 1776, Williamsburg, Va. 23187-1776.
           
October 10-11
Prelude to Victory
Come to Colonial Williamsburg and meet part of a vast army on its way to lay siege to Yorktown in what proves to be the decisive battle of the American Revolution.  The army - and townspeople - forms up on the street before the Courthouse to receive Generals Washington and Rochambeau.  Join other townspeople and offer encouragement as the Army displays its proficiency in firing demonstrations.  General Washington and his officers address the battalion concerning the upcoming siege.  Experience the lives and thoughts of a number of America's revolutionary era heroes as they progress towards their destiny and ours. For information, call toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.

October 15
Emissaries of Peace
Electronic Field Trip (broadcasts at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., EST)
During the turbulent era of the French and Indian War, the Cherokee people struggled to preserve their independence. Follow Cherokee leader Ostenaco and Virginian Henry Timberlake on their 1762 journey from Chota (the capital of the Cherokee nation) to Williamsburg and London in search of a lasting peace. Colonial Williamsburg’s Electronic Field Trips are interactive history lessons, presented as live television and Internet events, and broadcast via satellite to schools around the nation. This dramatic and compelling learning experience enhances history and social studies curricula while supporting national and state Standards of Learning. The program takes place at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., EST, in the Bruton Heights School Lane Auditorium, and is free and open to the public. Colonial Williamsburg’s award-winning programs also are available nationally on many PBS stations. For more information, visit www.history.org/trips, e-mail EFTSupport@cwf.org or call toll-free (800) 761-8331.

November 2-3
16th Annual Couples Golf Tournament
Golden Horseshoe Golf Club
The public is invited to play on Colonial Williamsburg’s award-winning Golden Horseshoe golf courses during this popular annual golf tournament. Two-person teams will consist of one man and one woman playing a best ball and captain’s choice format. Couples will play the Gold Course on Monday, Nov. 2 and the Green Course on Tuesday, Nov. 3. For information, call (757) 220-7696 or toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.

November 8-10
Foodways in the 18th Century: Bringing Virginia's Bounty to the Royal Governor's Table
DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum
Virginia’s 18th-century gentry delighted in fine dining. Gathering together friends and associates for a lavish and elegant meal was an important social and political event.  Learn about the very best of dining in early Virginia by joining us for Colonial Williamsburg’s first “Dining in the Eighteenth Century” conference, featuring the culinary arts and dining customs of the colony’s most prestigious households. Noted food historian, author and chef, Ivan Day, will join Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Trades foodways staff, curators, historians and archaeologists to explore how the bounty of colonial Virginia’s rivers, fields and forests found its way to the richly furnished tables of its political and social leaders. The three-day conference begins on Sunday evening with a keynote address by Day on the state of the art of fine dining in 18th-century England. The Monday morning session will delve into selecting recipes, procuring ingredients, and preparing the dishes of a royal governor’s dinner. Tuesday morning will focus on presentation, table settings, service and dining etiquette. Both afternoons will offer workshop sessions on colonial chocolate making, brewing beer and making ice cream, as well as private tours of food-related collections and sites with Colonial Williamsburg experts. There will be an 18th-century-inspired luncheon at one of Colonial Williamsburg’s historic taverns and a concluding banquet at the Williamsburg Lodge that reflects how historical foods can be adapted to and inspire modern fine dining as well. For more information, contact the conference registrar at (757) 220-7255 or toll-free at (800) 603-0948, online at www.history.org/conted, e-mail dchapman@cwf.org, fax (757) 565-8921 or write to: Office of Conferences, Forums and Workshops, P.O. Box 1776, Williamsburg, Va. 23187-1776.

November 11
Veterans Day
Colonial Williamsburg honors America's veterans with a parade down the Duke of Gloucester Street on Wednesday, Nov. 11, observed nationally as Veterans Day. The parade will process to the green behind the Courthouse of 1770 and a public ceremony to honor America's veterans will take place with militia and cannon crew firing volleys in honor of those who have served in America's military forces.  Colonial Williamsburg's Fifes and Drums will perform tunes as a salute to the veterans.  Speakers from the past and present will add their tribute to the day's ceremony. For information, call toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.

November 14-15
Brothers-in-Arms: Freedom, Slavery and the American Revolution
Colonial Williamsburg hosts its 14th annual Brothers in Arms program that explores the lives and complexities of free and enslaved blacks during the Revolutionary Era.  Programs highlight the personal and unified contributions, sacrifices and decisions by 18th-century blacks in securing their freedom. Witness the revolution through their unique perspectives. For information, call toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.

November 14-15
Fall Military Invitational Golf Tournament
Golden Horseshoe Golf Club
 The Golden Horseshoe Fall Military Invitational Golf Tournament features two-person, amateur teams vying in a 36-hole competition format. To be eligible for competition, one player must be active duty, retired or reserve military or a National Guard member. First round is four-ball (two person, best ball) and the second round is captain’s choice. For information, call (757) 220-7696 or toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.

November 19
A More Perfect Union (premiere)
Electronic Field Trip (broadcasts at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., EST)
Witness the conflict and compromise that accompanied the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Join young 18th-century observers, unseen by convention delegates, as they travel from state to state tallying the vote. Learn about the ratification process and Americans’ growing interest in their fledgling nation’s new government. Colonial Williamsburg’s Electronic Field Trips are interactive history lessons, presented as live television and Internet events, and broadcast via satellite to schools around the nation. This dramatic and compelling learning experience enhances history and social studies curricula while supporting national and state Standards of Learning. The program takes place at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., EST, in the Bruton Heights School Lane Auditorium, and is free and open to the public. Colonial Williamsburg’s award-winning programs also are available nationally on many PBS stations. For more information, visit www.history.org/trips, e-mail EFTSupport@cwf.org or call toll-free (800) 761-8331.

November 27, 2009-Jan. 3, 2010
Colonial Williamsburg’s Holiday Season
Nothing quite compares to spending the Christmas season in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. Special programs, dining, entertainment, hotel packages, events for children and more are waiting to enchant guests who come to enjoy a magical season they’ll not soon forget. Request a 2009 Holiday Planner for a detailed listing of holiday season events by calling toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.

December 6
Grand Illumination
In the 18th century, illuminations were sometimes held to commemorate the birth of the reigning sovereign.  Today we hold a Grand Illumination in the Historic Area to commemorate the birth of the King of Kings.  Musical performances from multiple stages throughout the Historic Area and fireworks displays from three different locations within the Historic Area make this event one that is not to be missed! Start your holiday season off with a pleasant memory of a present experience in the past. Request a 2009 Holiday Planner for a detailed listing of holiday season events by calling toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.

December 10
Jamestown Unearthed
Electronic Field Trip (broadcasts at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., EST)
Take a look at how history is written and reevaluated as new methods of study are introduced. Using the example of Jamestown in 1607, explore the myths and misconceptions of that era: revisit the documents, artifacts and other evidence through archaeology. Learn how every generation sees the evidence in new ways and how this affects our understanding of the past. Colonial Williamsburg’s Electronic Field Trips are interactive history lessons, presented as live television and Internet events, and broadcast via satellite to schools around the nation. This dramatic and compelling learning experience enhances history and social studies curricula while supporting national and state Standards of Learning. The program takes place at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., EST, in the Bruton Heights School Lane Auditorium, and is free and open to the public. Colonial Williamsburg’s award-winning programs also are available nationally on many PBS stations. For more information, visit www.history.org/trips, e-mail EFTSupport@cwf.org or call toll-free (800) 761-8331.

December 24
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Colonial Williamsburg and the Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg co-sponsor the lighting of an evergreen at 5:30 p.m. on Market Square. More than 2,000 guests will gather at the steps of the Courthouse on the Duke of Gloucester Street in the Historic Area. A local resident shares a recollection from her great-grandmother, Martha Page Vandegrift, who in 1842, witnessed the first Christmas tree in Williamsburg at the St. George Tucker House. The president of the Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg and the mayor of Williamsburg deliver holiday remarks and ask that the Christmas tree lights be turned on. Following the tree lighting, the audience lights individual candles. Request a 2009 Holiday Planner for a detailed listing of holiday season events by calling toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.

January 13-January 16 and January 17-January 20
Working Wood in the 18th Century
The 12th annual Working Wood in the 18th Century conference is co-sponsored by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Fine Woodworking magazine. Registration for the popular conference will begin when the brochure is mailed in September 2009. These programs have filled to capacity every year, so those interested are encouraged to register early. To be added to the mailing list, submit your postal address to dchapman@cwf.org or call 1-800-603-0948.

January 14
Westward! (premiere)
Electronic Field Trip (broadcasts at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., EST)
Explore the story of the early days of American westward expansion. Daniel Boone recounts the exciting experiences and unexpected consequences associated with moving west. Learn about the risks and grueling personal hardships of creating new settlements. Colonial Williamsburg’s Electronic Field Trips are interactive history lessons, presented as live television and Internet events, and broadcast via satellite to schools around the nation. This dramatic and compelling learning experience enhances history and social studies curricula while supporting national and state Standards of Learning. The program takes place at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., EST, in the Bruton Heights School Lane Auditorium, and is free and open to the public. Colonial Williamsburg’s award-winning programs also are available nationally on many PBS stations. For more information, visit www.history.org/trips, e-mail EFTSupport@cwf.org or call toll-free (800) 761-8331.

Visit our online calendar for more information about upcoming events.