Find Events & Things to Do in the Historic Triangle

Changing Keys: From Harpsichord to Pianoforte Location: DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum Event Website Explore the evolution of spinets, harpsichords, and pianos in the 18th century in this exhibition of more than 25 instruments. Examine the differences in the various types of keyboards as well as the evolution of the instrument over time. November 22, 2012 - September 07, 2014
First Thursdays at The Mariners' Museum: Free Location: The Mariners' Museum Event Website Meet up with friends after work and join us at The Mariners’ First Thursdays at The Mariners’ Museum: “What do you do with a drunken sailor." Looking for something fun to do after work on the first Thursday of every month? First Thursdays is a free social event featuring live music, a 50/50 raffle and food & adult beverages for purchase. As an added bonus, there will also be a select gallery or exhibition open during each event at no charge. The Mariners’ Museum will stay open later for the first Thursday, January through May and September through December. The theme of January 3rd will be “What do you do with a drunken sailor?” Audience will be asked to complete the question and at various times during the evening, the band will play the famous ditty and sing the responses. The Chesapeake Bay gallery will be open for tours. January 03, 2013 - January 02, 2014 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Park Packs at York River State Park Location: York River State park Event Website Want to enhance your visit to York River State Park? Then a Park Pack is what you need! A Park Pack will help you explore the park on your own. Each pack contains binoculars, guide books, story books, birdsong players, and more. Park Pack themes include Birding, History, Rivers, and more. Check out a Park Pack for up to 3 days at the Park Office Mon-Fri. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. January 15, 2013 - December 31, 2013 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Jamestown’s Legacy to the American Revolution Location: Jamestown Settlement Event Website More than 60 objects destined for exhibit at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown will be on display in “Jamestown’s Legacy to the American Revolution,” opening March 1 at Jamestown Settlement. The special exhibition, which continues through January 20, 2014, examines the lives of Revolutionary War-era descendants of people associated with Jamestown, the 17th-century capital of Virginia. March 01, 2013 - January 20, 2014
Jamestown's Legacy to the American Revolution Location: Jamestown Settlement Event Website More than 60 objects destined for exhibit at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown are on display in “Jamestown’s Legacy to the American Revolution,” which opened March 1 at Jamestown Settlement. The special exhibition, which continues through January 20, 2014, examines the lives of Revolutionary War-era descendants of people associated with 17th-century Jamestown, colonial Virginia's first capital. March 01, 2013 - January 20, 2014
African American Music Location: Great Hopes Plantation Event Website Help us keep the rhythms, sing the songs, and dance the dances adapted from the West African people in colonial America. As you walk the grounds of the plantation as the sun sets, you will have the opportunity to explore the diverse nature of African American musical culture in colonial Virginia. March 14, 2013 - June 13, 2013 7:00 PM
Painters and Paintings in the Early American South Location: DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum Event Website This ground-breaking exhibition will bring together paintings by artists working in the 18th-century South and others produced abroad for southern patrons. March 23, 2013 - September 07, 2014
Capitol Concert Location: Capitol Hall of Burgesses Event Website Enjoy an evening of 18th-century music played by members of the Governor's Musick in the acoustically brilliant hall of the House of Burgesses. Hear the harpsichord and other popular instruments of the era in a performance of festive music from the colonial period. The candelit setting is a fitting backdrop for what Thomas Jefferson described as a "delightful recreation." April 12, 2013 - June 16, 2013 7:00 PM
Blockades, Books, and Bassinets Location: Swem LIbrary, College of William & Mary Event Website Visit Swem Library for exhibits commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and the 50th anniversary of the civil rights movememnt. Exhibits rotate at least twice a year and are part of the "From Fights to Rights: The Long Road to a More Perfect Union" public programming. Blockades, Books, and Bassinets is located in the lobby of Swem Library's Special Collections Research Center. April 17, 2013 - October 16, 2013
National Military Appreciation Month Location: Williamsburg Premium Outlets Event Website WilliamsburgPremium Outlets salutes the Military during the month of May, National Military Appreciation Month. Additional savings are being offered to all military personnel who present their Military ID at the Information Center located in the Food Court. May 01, 2013 - May 31, 2013
Classics at the Vineyard - Miami String Quartet Andre-Michel Schub $100 Limited Avfailability, No Discounts Location: Williamsburg Winery Event Website Experience the artistry of world-class musicians and a superb dining experience at the Williamsburg Winery! Before the performance, sip champagne, at intermission, enjoy an elegant dinner, and end the evening with dessert and meeting the artists! May 23, 2013 6:00 PM
VA Arts Festival Classics at the Vineyard Miami String Quartet Location: Williamsburg Winery Event Website Le jazz hot of Paris meets N'Awlins! Hot jazz, salty stride piano, and the kind of music Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller used to make: staight-up, foot-stomping fun (literally - the band includes a tap dancer whose feet count as two members of the rhythm section). Put a tap in your step and a smile on your face with this beguiling band! May 23, 2013 6:00 PM
Music on the Menu - Miami String Quartet Andre-Michel Schub $50, no discounts Location: Williamsburg Winery Event Website This enhanced concert experience begins with light hors d'oeuvres and wine tasting, followed by the concert-virtuoso musicians performing great works by master composers. After the performance, browse a brunch buffet of offerings from area restaurants and sample from the Winery's award-winning wine collection. May 24, 2013 11:00 AM
Bela Fleck & Oumou Sangare Band $45, $35, reserved theatre seating Location: Virginia Room, Williamsburg Lodge Event Website Banjo master Béla Fleck has taken many musical journeys, but his most recent—to Africa, the place where the banjo was born—has yielded a treasure trove of discovery. Festival Box Office: (757) 282-2822 May 24, 2013 8:00 PM
The Williamsburg Charity Concert Series presents The Jangling Reinharts in Concert All seats $18 Event Website The Jangling Reinharts mix popular cover songs from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s (along with the occasional TV theme song…just to see who’s listening). Beautiful vocal harmonies, superb finger-style on the lead guitar, and a knack for playing the right song at the right time set The Jangling Reinharts apart from the rest. May 24, 2013 7:30 PM
Memorial Day Weekend Sale Location: Williamsburg Premium Outlets Event Website Don't miss the annual Memorial Day Weekend Sale. Enjoy extra discounts on top of already low outlet prices. May 24, 2013 - May 27, 2013
Bravo Broadway! $45, $35, Reserved Table Seating Location: Williamsburg Lodge Event Website One of the Festival's most popular events, the Broadway spotlight Series in Williamsburg features dazzling stars of Broadway and caberet! This year, hear Debbie Gravitte, who has charmed audiences from Broadway (Les Miserables) to the movies (The Little Mermaid); Tony nominated singer/actress Christiane Noll (Ragtime, Jekyll and Hyde), and Doug LeBrecque, who has thrilled theater audiences in The Phantom of the Opera and Showboat. May 25, 2013 8:00 PM
Bravo Broadway! Tickets $45, $35, reserved table seating Location: Virginia Room, Williamsburg Lodge Event Website Hear stars of Broadway and New York's cabaret scene in an intimate, elegant setting! This enticing evening features Debbie Gravitte, who has charmed audiences from Broadway (Les Miserables) to the movies (The Little Mermaid); Tony nominated singer/actress Christiane Noll (Ragtime, Jekyll and Hyde), and Doug LaBrecque, who has thrilled theater audiences in The Phantom of the Opera and Showboat. Festival Box Office: (757) 282-2822 May 25, 2013 5:30 PM
Bravo Broadway! Tickets $45, $35, reserved table seating Location: Virginia Room, Williamsburg Lodge Event Website Hear stars of Broadway and New York's cabaret scene in an intimate, elegant setting! This enticing evening features Debbie Gravitte, who has charmed audiences from Broadway (Les Miserables) to the movies (The Little Mermaid); Tony nominated singer/actress Christiane Noll (Ragtime, Jekyll and Hyde), and Doug LaBrecque, who has thrilled theater audiences in The Phantom of the Opera and Showboat. Festival Box Office: (757) 282-2822 May 25, 2013 8:00 PM
Bodies Revealed Location: Virginia Living Museum Event Website Bodies Revealed, an amazing look into the human body that will educate and fascinate visitors, opens at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News on May 25 and runs through Sept. 2. Bodies Revealed, by Premier Exhibitions Inc., will provide the public with an opportunity to see inside carefully preserved real anatomical specimens and learn the detailed structure and function of the human body. The exhibition takes visitors through galleries providing an up-close look inside the skeletal, muscular, reproductive, respiratory, circulatory and other systems of the human body. Many of the whole body specimens are dissected in vivid athletic poses, allowing the visitor to relate to everyday activities. In addition, authentic human specimens illustrate the damage caused to organs by over-eating and lack of exercise. A healthy lung is featured next to a black lung ravaged by smoking in a vivid comparison more powerful than any textbook image. The human body specimens in the exhibition are preserved through a revolutionary technique called polymer preservation. In this process, human tissue is permanently preserved using liquid silicone rubber that is treated and hardened. The end result is a rubberized specimen, preserved to the cellular level, showcasing the complexity of the body's many bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels and organs. The full-body specimens can take more than a year to prepare. “Medical students study human bodies preserved through a similar process used in the Bodies Revealed exhibit. The exhibition provides access to the public to learn about anatomy and body systems using real specimens, a unique opportunity to create a greater scientific understanding,” said Harry Lester, president of Eastern Virginia Medical School. “This is an exciting opportunity for the museum to expand its science education mission and bring this dynamic exhibit to Hampton Roads,” said museum Executive Director Page Hayhurst. The exhibition is currently receiving worldwide acclaim attracting nearly 15 million visitors from cities around the world. Premier Exhibitions, Inc. is a major provider of museum quality touring exhibitions throughout the world. The Virginia Living Museum’s living exhibits explore the nature of Virginia from the mountains to the sea. Visitors immerse themselves in two-level walk-through habitats of an Appalachian cove and cypress swamp, explore the underwater world of the Chesapeake Bay and the underground world of a limestone cave and enjoy four hands-on discovery centers. Travel the universe in the planetarium theater or see spectacular views of the sun from the observatory. Outdoors, animals native to Virginia live in naturalized habitats along a 3/4-mile elevated boardwalk that also includes a butterfly garden, conservation garden and native wetland plants. The museum is located at 524 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News (I-64, exit 258-A). Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily May 25 – Sept. 2. Admission to the museum is $17 for adults and $13 for children (ages 3-12), ages 2 and under are free. Admission to Bodies Revealed is an additional $9 for adults and $7 for children. VLM members pay $7 per person. Group rates are available for groups of 10 or more. Advance ticket sales will begin in late March. Bodies Revealed is presented by Riverside Health System and sponsored by Orthopaedic & Spine Center and Tidewater Physical Therapy. Call 757-595-1900 or visit thevlm.org for more information. May 25, 2013 - September 02, 2013
Yorktown Market Days Free Location: Riverwalk Landing Event Website Fresh produce, meat and seafood, baked goods, coffee, specialty cut flowers, quality art, entertainment and much more await you at the Saturday morning Market Days. May 11, 2013 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Hot Sardines $45, $35, Reserved Table Seating Location: Williamsburg Lodge Event Website Le jazz hot of Paris meets Hot jazz, salty stride piano, and the kind of music Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller used to make: straght-up, foot-stomping fun (literally - the band includes a tap dancer whose feet count as two members of the rhythm section). Put a tap in your step and a smile on your face with this beguiling band! May 26, 2013 7:00 PM
The Hot Sardines Tickets 445, $35, Reserved Table Seating Location: Williamsburg Lodge Event Website Le jazz hot of Paris meets N’Awlins! Hot jazz, salty stride piano, and the kind of music Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller used to make: straight-up, foot-stomping fun (literally – the band includes a tap dancer whose feet count as two members of the rhythm section). Put a tap in your step and a smile on your face with this beguiling band! May 26, 2013 7:00 PM
Memorial Day Photo Exhibits Photos of York County Citizens and sites during the Civil War period. Located at at York County Historical Museum on Main 408 Main St. in Yorktown May 27, 2013
A Remembrance Ceremony and Wayside Dedication Location: At the base of the Great Valley Corner of Water Street & Reed Street, Yorktown Join us as we honor the 2,000,000 Africans who died in the Middle Passage and the 500,000 enslaved survivors and their descendents who helped build this nation. May 27, 2013 8:00 AM
Literary High Tea at the Carrot Tree featuring J. Michael Moore Location: Cole Digges House (circa 1720), 411 Main Street Enjoy a delightful high tea featuring; Silk Sachet Teas; Scones & Biscuits; Petite Quiche; Tea Sandwiches; Dessert Plates, and more. This month's guest, J. Michael Moore, The War of 1812 in the Chesapeake Bay. Please join us at the Cole Digges House (circa 1720), 411 Main Street. Reservations recommended. Seating is limited. Call for pricing and more information. (757) 988-1999. May 29, 2013 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival - FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS Location: Busch Gardens Williamsburg 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, May 31- June 23. This all-new event will feature delicious sample-sized portions of superb foods, wines and other refreshments not usually found at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Stroll through France to enjoy coq au vin with rosemary roasted fingerling potatoes, linger in Spain for venera con jamón with saffron rice and romesco sauce, and then stop in Germany for pork schnitzel and fine-crafted brews. It’s Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s most delicious event, where taste will be as much an adventure as a ride aboard Verbolten®, the park’s newest roller coaster. Visit buschgardens.com/va for complete details. Bon appétit! May 31, 2013 - June 23, 2013
American Furniture: From Virginia to Vermont Location: DeWitt Wallace Museum Event Website This exhibition in the Elizabeth Ridgely and Miodrag Blagojevich Gallery highlights pieces from three regions: Eastern Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New England. While early furniture forms and styles from these areas were similar during the late 17th through the early 19th centuries, the interpretation and the popularity of designs varied due to differences in local economies, trade settlement patterns, and the religious and cultural backgrounds of the inhabitants. A section on painted furniture further demonstrates regional styles and decorative influences. April 01, 2012 - December 31, 2013 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Exhibition Opening - Tramp Art Location: Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum Event Website Explore this intriguing art form through the study of five objects ranging from a seven-foot-tall cheval glass to a doll-sized roll-top desk. Notch or chip carving required few tools and little training. In the most common form of tramp art, notches were carved into the edges of cigar box wood, usually with a penknife, and the carved wood was then stacked and fastened with small nails or glue to create detailed, three dimensional designs. Men with spare time in the evenings created wonderfully layered objects that decorated the homes of family and friends. Furniture pieces like the cheval glass were made from large chunks of wood but with the same notched/chip carved technique. At the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum. 757-220-7554 or 800-HISTORY. Runs through September 7, 2014. September 29, 2012 - September 07, 2014
Keyboard Instruments for America, 1700–1830 Location: DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum Event Website Explore the evolution of spinets, harpsichords, and pianos in the 18th century in this exhibition of more than 25 instruments. Examine the differences in the various types of keyboards as well as the evolution of the instrument over time. Keyboard instruments were an integral part of the cultural milieu of Virginia’s colonial and post-colonial period. The second known public performance on a piano in America took place at the Raleigh Tavern. Featured instruments, ranging in date from 1700 to 1830, are drawn from Colonial Williamsburg’s significant collection of English keyboards. Many have never been exhibited before. Two reproductions are included so that they can be played for visitors. Models of detailed aspects of the keyboard allow visitors further insight into the workings of the instruments. December 13, 2012 - September 07, 2013
Tramp Art Exhibit at Colonial Williamsburg Folk Art Museum Location: 326 W. Francis Street Event Website Explore this intriguing art form through the study of six objects ranging from a seven-foot-tall cheval glass to a doll-sized roll-top desk in the David and Mary Peebles Gallery. Notch or chip carving required few tools and little training. In the most common form of tramp art, notches were carved into the edges of cigar box wood, usually with a penknife, and the carved wood was then stacked and fastened with small nails or glue to create detailed, three dimensional designs. Men with spare time in the evenings created wonderfully layered objects that decorated the homes of family and friends. Furniture pieces like the cheval glass were made from large chunks of wood but with the same notched/chip carved technique. Contact Information: 757-229-1000 January 01, 2013 - September 07, 2013
Orientation Walk Location: Greenhow Lumber House Event Website Take a 30-minute orientation walk that will help you plan your visit. Get the latest information on programs and events, places to eat, and shopping options as well as an overview of the restoration of Williamsburg. January 01, 2013 - December 31, 2013 9:30 AM

Bravo Broadway! Tickets $45, $35, reserved table seating Location: Virginia Room, Williamsburg Lodge Event Website Hear stars of Broadway and New York's cabaret scene in an intimate, elegant setting! This enticing evening features Debbie Gravitte, who has charmed audiences from Broadway (Les Miserables) to the movies (The Little Mermaid); Tony nominated singer/actress Christiane Noll (Ragtime, Jekyll and Hyde), and Doug LaBrecque, who has thrilled theater audiences in The Phantom of the Opera and Showboat. Festival Box Office: (757) 282-2822 May 25, 2013 8:00 PM
Cravings ~ The Energetics of Food $20 per person Location: Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance building Event Website Come out and join Debbi Dunn CHHC for a fun evening and learn about Cravings. This workshop will engage you to look at the foods, deficits and behaviors in your life that are the underlying causes of your cravings. Many people view cravings as weakness, but really they are important messages meant to assist you in maintaining balance. When you experience a craving, deconstruct it. Ask yourself, what does my body want and why? Learn about the eight primary causes of cravings. Call 757-585-9481 to RSVP. May 30, 2013 6:00 PM
"Keep It In York County" Initiative Begins! Location: York County Event Website On May 31, the York County Economic Development Authority will launch its new "Buy Local" initiative, appropriately titled "Keep It In York County." The campaign and associated website aim to educate local residents about the direct benefits to them from buying local, such as lower taxes and increased choices and services, and to encourage them to do so whenever possible. Visit the website for details. May 31, 2013
Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting - Dunkin Donuts at the Great Wolf Lodge Location: Great Wolf Lodge Please join us for the Grand Opening Receptions and Ribbon Cutting of the new Great Wolf Lodge Restaurant! Menu tastings and drawings! RSVP to susan@managingcommunications.com. Located at 549 East Rochambeau Drive, Williamsburg VA. May 31, 2013 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM