Henrico committee planning events to honor nation's 250th anniversary

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, counties and states all across the nation (including Henrico) are beginning to host events related to the American Revolution.

The Henrico County 250th Committee is tasked with planning the programming and events for the United States 250th anniversary celebration within Henrico County.

The actual 250th anniversary of the U.S. will be in 2026, but the celebration in Henrico will commemorate many people and events from the American Revolution, beginning now and lasting until 2031, according to Julian Charity, the director of the History, Heritage and Natural Resources Division of the Henrico Department of Recreation and Parks and a member of the Henrico County 250th Committee.

The Henrico 250th Committee is in charge of most decisions regarding the celebrations, with support from the Virginia Tourism Corporation and guidance from the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, the group responsible for facilitating 250th-anniversary events in Virginia.

“We’re the ones who are going to come up with the ideas and implement them on this very localized level,” said Henrico Recreation and Parks official Lisa Denton, referring to members of the Henrico 250th Committee, of which she is one. The committee was formed in early 2022, but even before that, county officials had conducted surveys for about a year and a half asking Henrico citizens what they were looking for in a 250th celebration, according to Charity. The Henrico County Sports and Entertainment Authority is chairing the entire project and is responsible for spreading the word.

According to Denton, the committee consists of members from Henrico Recreation and Parks’ History and Museum section; the Henrico County Public Library; Henrico County Public Schools; and the National Park Service; as well as several independent local historians.

Funding for the Henrico 250th committee is coming from Henrico Recreation and Parks, but officials still need to identify specific funds. The committee also will be seeking state grants and additional funding through various partnerships.

The 250th Committee’s overarching goal is to educate the public and increase engagement with the history of Henrico County and the founding of the nation.

The committee plans not to repeat all the common stories told about the Revolution but rather to highlight lesser-known stories that affected Henrico County then and now. Though the committee’s kickoff event Dec. 16 at Walkerton Tavern in Glen Allen commemorated the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, Denton noted that that famed event was just one of many.

“There were 17 total tea parties out there,” Denton said. “Most people don’t know about that.”

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Charity pointed out where history has direct influence in Henrico, such as through current street names inspired by the Revolution, lesser-known neighborhoods and people who played a role in the Revolution, as well as the ancestry that many share with these historical events. To the committee, it is important to recognize the key people and parts of history that came from and occurred in Henrico County during the revolution.

Charity acknowledged that this history affects everyone differently and that telling these different stories is important for the committee. Committee members are looking for all stories to be told, whether they are lesser-known stories or include the perspective of first-generation immigrants who may not have a strong connection to the American Revolution.

“We want multiple versions of stories to be told and to be celebrated, because that’s what it's all about,” Charity said. “We as Americans are about celebrating multiple groups of people all at the same time.”

The programs and events will be spread out throughout Henrico County. Many programs will be on a more local, neighborhood level, and Charity estimated that there would be about 16 to 18 programs every six months. All programs and events will be strategically planned to ensure all can participate, and each one will be free and open to the public. Virtual options will be available for some events, as well, Charity said.

These events will also be planned to ensure that all individuals can engage.

“In that day and time, people really didn’t think of themselves as individuals, they thought of themselves as a greater part of the whole,” Charity said. “So our target to engage more people in this is widespread.”

Understanding that individuals take in information differently, the committee will use different ways to produce these events, Charity said, possibly including digital media, printed media, battle reenactments, interacting with historical characters, historical speeches, crafts, music, outdoor movies, story time for children, and virtual programming.

The historical events specific to Henrico County have their 250th anniversary in 2031, but the committee did not want to wait until then to put on programs and events. Charity said that this was to increase familiarity with what occurred during the Revolution in Henrico County so that in 2031, more individuals will know the history and want to engage with it. According to Denton, these events will continue up to 2031 and maybe even 2032.

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The next Henrico 250th event includes an entire weekend of programs on Benedict Arnold’s raid Jan. 4-7.

Other future events include a chance to meet George Washington Jan. 28, hear Thomas Jefferson’s perspective of his work on the Declaration of Independence Feb. 11, and a celebration of George Washington’s Birthday Feb. 20.

While currently unplanned, the largest event will of course be the Fourth of July in 2026, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. According to Charity, the committee plans to reconvene in January to map out programming and events for the 2024 calendar.

Details on all events across all counties can be found on the Virginia 250 calendar page. (To look for events specific to Henrico County, you can use the location drop-down button on the left-hand side of the page and select Henrico County, or view the Henrico County Recreation and Parks program guide linked on its homepage.)

According to Denton, the Henrico committee is also working on a website, but it’s not complete yet.

These events are just the beginning, but the committee does not want the anniversary events to be the end.

“Just because the anniversary [eventually will be] done, that [doesn’t mean] we can’t continue talking about some of the legacies,” Denton said, explaining the hope that these events would start discussions and provide learning opportunities that could extend into the future.