Henrico’s Fourth of July celebration returning to Meadow Farm

Henrico County will present its annual Red, White and Lights community celebration of Independence Day on Sunday, July 4 at Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, 3400 Mountain Road in Glen Allen.

The free event, produced by the Division of Recreation and Parks, will begin at 5 p.m. and provide an evening of family entertainment, including a performance by the Richmond Symphony featuring a repertoire of patriotic and America-themed selections with guest conductor Antoine T. Clark and a laser-light show finale. Gates will be open from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Guests will need to be in the event area to see and hear the show.

Red, White and Lights returns to Meadow Farm for the first time since 2017. It had shifted to Dorey Park in Varina in 2018 for an anticipated three-year period, but weather forced the cancellation in 2019 and COVID-19 canceled it last year.

The county’s first annual Juneteenth celebration at Dorey earlier this month attracted an estimated 11,000 people.

“We’re excited, just two weeks after Juneteenth, to present another large, in-person gathering to celebrate the Fourth of July,” said Henrico Recreation and Parks Director Neil Luther. “Our community celebration of Independence Day has been a wonderful event for 30 years. We look forward to having the community join us at historic Meadow Farm.”

The Richmond Symphony will perform at 8 p.m. under The Big Tent, a state-of-the-art mobile stage that allows the orchestra to take its music into communities. As a grand finale, a laser-light show will accompany the symphony’s performance.

Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs and to arrive early to enjoy roving entertainment by juggler Jonathan Austin, Miss Sherri the Clown and Uncle Sam on Stilts. Face painting, photo opportunities and visits with Henrico County Public Library will also be available. A reading of the Declaration of Independence will take place at 6 p.m. on the steps of the farmhouse. Antoinette Essa, a reporter for WTVR CBS 6, will serve as emcee for the evening. Food trucks will be onsite to provide a meal or snack.

For event details and tips, visit http://henrico.us/rec or henrico.us/calendar/red-white-and-lights-2021.