WILLIAMSBURG — Local representatives, elected officials and tourism industry leaders met Monday for a roundtable discussion hosted by U.S. Sen. Mark Warner to talk about planning for the U.S. semiquincentennial commemoration throughout Virginia.
The semiquincentennial will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.
“Help me help you,” Warner told the group in attendance, which included Colonial Williamsburg Foundation President and CEO Cliff Fleet, William & Mary President Katherine Rowe and Williamsburg Mayor Doug Pons.
Throughout the hour-long discussion at the Williamsburg Lodge, the most common request was for additional funding to help support the plans and projects happening in the area. Several people also mentioned the continued construction on Interstate 64 as something they hope to see wrapped up in time for the 250th to help make movement easier with the expected influx of visitors.
“By hook or by crook, we will fix I-64,” Warner said.
Pons reaffirmed the city’s commitment to the ongoing commemoration efforts, while Rowe pointed out the unparalleled “pace of primary discovery” happening in the area, much of which has been driven by local communities, such as with the Historic First Baptist Church.
Visit Williamsburg CEO Vicki Cimino mentioned workforce problems as an ongoing issue in the area, asking Warner for anything that might help promote workforce development. She also emphasized the importance of the spotlight surrounding the 250th commemorations in helping to promote Williamsburg overseas.
State Del. A.C. Cordoza, R-Hampton, mentioned Juneteenth as an example of an event that should be included in the official lineup, helping to tell a more complete story about the nation’s founding. Juneteenth marks the final emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. and in 2021 was established as a federal holiday.
A full list of events happening in the lead up of the commemoration on July 4, 2026, is available on the VA250 website at va250.org/localevents.
During the discussion, Warner floated some of his own ideas, including inviting representatives from NATO member states to come and participate in some of the commemorative events as well as reaching out to places around the country which have been named for Virginia locations and inviting them to take part in some way.
“I think there are a host of other people here who are smarter than me in terms of what the particular marketing ideas are, but coming out of the COVID world, getting people back into history tourism is really important,” Warner said in an interview after the roundtable. “It sounds like we’ve got our act together here in the Historic Triangle and Virginia … starting with things like Colonial Williamsburg and Monticello and Mount Vernon.”
With presumably a huge influx of people traveling to Virginia for the ongoing commemoration events, it’s an opportunity to bring tourists in, which will go far to pay “many, many years of dividends,” he said.
Sian Wilkerson, 757-342-6616, [email protected]
