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2008 Media Calendar
June | July | September | October | November | December | January
09
June 24
Masonic Procession
The Feast of St. John the Baptist is an annual day of solemn observance for the Mason’s historic Williamsburg Lodge No. 6, including a procession to the church and a sermon for the occasion. Colonial Williamsburg interpreters and current lodge members collaborate to reenact this event annually. For more information, call (800) HISTORY.
June 27-29
Under the Redcoat
Psssst! What’s the password? British soldiers impose “martial law” on Williamsburg as a prelude to their eventual move to Yorktown in 1781 in this popular weekend of activities. More than 250 military re-enactors converge on the town to encamp and drill. For information, call toll-free (800) HISTORY.
July 4
Independence Day
On Independence Day, old and new members of the Fifes and Drums
will meet for a reunion in conjunction with their 50th anniversary
celebration. The alumni will perform alongside the current Fifes
and Drums in a concert prior to the fireworks on Friday, July
4. For information, call toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.
July 12-13
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.
Storytelling Festival,
“Spinning Stories/Spanning Time: A Weekend of Stories Old and New”
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation presents nationally acclaimed storytellers during its fourth national storytelling festival that features 18th- through 21st-century stories. A variety of festival ticket options will be offered. For information, call toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.
October 11-12
Prelude to Victory: Washington Prepares for Yorktown
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 form up on the street in front of the
Courthouse to receive Generals Washington and Rochambeau. Offer
encouragement as the army displays its proficiency in firing
demonstrations. General Washington and his officers address the
battalion concerning the upcoming siege. For information, call
toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.
October 16
The Will of the People
Electronic Field Trip (broadcasts at 10
a.m. and 1 p.m., EST)
During the premiere of this new Electronic
Field Trip, one of the most bitter presidential campaigns in
U.S. history is part of a surprising lesson for a 21st-century
student. Thomas Jefferson explains how negative campaigning,
partisan politics and contested elections have been part of our
political system since the earliest days of the republic. 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 information, call toll-free
(800) 761-8331.
October 30-November 1
Oxen in the Old and New World Symposium
DeWitt Wallace Decorative
Arts Museum
Relied upon for strength, intelligence and as a
food source, oxen have been invaluable to mankind through the
centuries. Oxen remained the main beasts of burden until late
in the 19th century when horses and mules replaced them. At The
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, oxen in its Rare Breeds program
have served as part of historical interpretation for many years.
Join us this October for a three-day symposium on oxen and learn
how they have been used over time, in the old and new worlds,
and explore the practical aspects of their use today. The program
will include lectures, demonstrations and panel discussions featuring
oxen experts from around the world. Guest presenters include:
Donald Collins, D.V.M., Berwick, Maine; Rob Flory, intern program
coordinator, Howell Living History Farm, Mercer County Park Commission,
Trenton, N.J.; Barry Hiltz, Ross Farm, New Ross, Nova Scotia;
Tim Huppe, custom ox yoke maker, Farmington, N.H.; Bob Powell,
curator, Highland Folk Museum, Newtonmore, Scotland; Richard
Roosenberg, executive director, Tillers International, Scotts,
Mich.; Ed Schultz, supervisor of rural trades, Colonial Williamsburg;
Paul Starkey, international specialist in animal power and rural
transport, Reading, England; Darin Tschopp, ox driver and interpreter,
Colonial Williamsburg; and Peter Watson, director, Howell Living
History Farm, Mercer County Park Commission, Trenton, N.J. 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 3-4
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 Green Course on Saturday, Nov.
3 and the Gold Course on Sunday, Nov. 4. For information, call
(757) 220-7696 or toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.
November 8-9
Brothers-in-Arms: Freedom, Slavery and the American
Revolution
Colonial Williamsburg hosts its 13th annual Brothers
in Arms program that explores the lives and complexities
of free and enslaved blacks during the Revolutionary Era.
Programs highlight personal and unified contributions, sacrifices
and decisions for 18th-century blacks in securing their freedom.
Witness the Revolution from their unique perspectives. For
information, call toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.
November 11
Veterans Day
Colonial Williamsburg celebrates the contributions
of American veterans. A parade will begin on Duke of Gloucester
Street and will proceed to the Courthouse. A public ceremony
to honor America’s
veterans will take place at the Courthouse with militia and cannon
crew firing volleys. Colonial Williamsburg’s Fifes and
Drums will perform tunes as a salute to 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 13
Yorktown
Electronic Field Trip (broadcasts at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.,
EST)
Explore the story of the key turning point in the Revolutionary
War. Follow the people who converged on the village of York in
October 1781: the military leaders, common soldiers and civilians
whose lives were changed forever by the siege. Learn why Yorktown
was the place where American independence was finally secured.
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 information, call toll-free (800) 761-8331.
November 15-16
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 16-19
DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum
Metalworking for Revolution:
Equipping the American Forces
“Metalworking for Revolution” is
a three-day symposium exploring the role of metalworkers in
supplying the equipment needed to fight the American Revolution. During
the early years of the Revolution, Americans turned to their
own artisans to produce goods no longer available from England. The
military was no exception, and American metalworkers found
themselves with orders for buttons, buckles, gorgets and cooking
utensils as well as swords, tomahawks, muskets, bayonets and
entrenching tools. In some cases, they set up large manufactories
to cast artillery barrels and mass produce small arms. Technologies
included forging, welding, heat-treating, casting, sheet-metal
work, filing, boring, punching, die-sinking and engraving. Members
of Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Trades program and
guest speakers will demonstrate these processes and make many
of these goods using 18th-century tools and methods. Most
presentations will take place in the Hennage Auditorium at the
DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, where close-up video will
show the action in detail. Other demonstrations will take
place in trade shops in the Historic Area. During morning and
afternoon breaks, speakers will display their work, demonstrate
techniques, and chat with participants. Space requires that
registration be limited. 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.
A Kid’s Holiday Weekend
Explore how 18th-century families celebrated special occasions during Colonial Williamsburg’s “A Kid’s Holiday Weekend.” This special program for young guests and their families has expanded and includes seasonal traditions such as Christmas, New Year’s and Twelfth Night. Sites throughout the town will be devoted to sharing fun and festive entertainments of the holiday season with children of all ages, but especially for those from age 6 to 12. Children can meet with people of the past, try their skills at writing, help with meal preparation, sing songs of the season and a myriad of other cool Yule stuff. For information and reservations, call toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.
December 7
Grand Illumination
Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums continues the celebration
of its 50th anniversary with special performances during Grand
Illumination, Sunday, Dec. 7. Grand Illumination, the signature
event of Colonial Williamsburg’s holiday season, features
fireworks, musical performances and candlelit buildings. Request
a 2008 Holiday Planner for a detailed listing of holiday season
events by calling toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.
December 11
Making History Live (premiere)
Electronic Field Trip (broadcasts
at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., EST)
What makes history come alive? Take
a behind-the-scenes look at how historical African American character
portrayals are created for Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic
Area. From research through performance, experienced museum interpreters
share their techniques for bringing the past to life. 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 information, call toll-free
(800) 761-8331.
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Colonial Williamsburg a nd the Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg co-sponsor the lighting of an evergreen 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 asks that the Christmas tree lights be turned on. Following the tree lighting, the audience lights individual candles. Request a 2008 Holiday Planner for a detailed listing of holiday season events by calling toll-free 1-800-HISTORY.
January 7-January 10 and January 11-January 14
Working Wood in the 18th Century
The 11th 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 2008. 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 15
In Pursuit of Science
Electronic Field Trip (broadcasts at 10 a.m.
and 1 p.m., EST)
Enter the exciting world of early American scientists
and their discoveries. Follow a young colonial boy in his exploration
of science and the world around him. Discover the important scientific
exploration that took place in the early years of America. 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 information, call toll-free (800) 761-8331.
Visit our online calendar for more information about upcoming events.
Historic Triangle
