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Yorktown Victory Celebration
October 19 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Yorktown Victory Celebration
American Revolution Museum at Yorktown – Saturday, October 19
Celebrate America’s momentous 1781 Revolutionary War victory at Yorktown on October 19 with artillery firings, exhibits and interpretive programs examining the significance of the American and French alliance.
In addition to commemorative programs at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, October 19 townwide events feature the Yorktown Day Parade and Patriotic Exercises in Historic Yorktown, in partnership with the Yorktown Day Association, Colonial National Historical Park Yorktown Battlefield, The American Friends of Lafayette and the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission. A special emphasis this year is the 200th anniversary of the French Marquis de Lafayette’s return to America in 1824, following the American Revolution.
At the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, stories of citizens and soldiers unfold daily through immersive films, exhibition galleries and interpretive programs in outdoor re-creations of a Continental Army encampment and Revolution-era farm.
Scheduled events
| Approximate Time | Location | Description |
| 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Revolution-era Farm | 18th Century Foodways Indigenous people contributed to both sides of the American Revolution, while some remained neutral. Their food culture, as well as that of enslaved people from West Central Africa, contributed to what we recognize today as “American” food. Explore the convergence of cultures through food at the farm kitchen and enslaved farmers’ quarters. |
| 10 a.m. | Continental Army Encampment | Drill! Fall in line as a Continental soldier and practice drilling with a wooden musket. |
| 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. | Continental Army Encampment | Meet a Person of the Past: Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau Enjoy this first-person encounter with Comte de Rochambeau, a French nobleman and general who led the French forces during the Siege of Yorktown, as portrayed by Michael Halbert. |
| 11 a.m. & 3 p.m. | Continental Army Encampment | Artillery Demonstrations Join the artillery crew and learn firsthand about the importance of artillery during the Siege of Yorktown. Then cover your ears as the crew fires the weapon! (Weather permitting) |
| 12:30 p.m. & 3:30 p.m. | Event Lawn | Field Musick Virginia Enjoy the martial music of the 18th century. |
| 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. | TowneBank Pavilion | Fortification School Learn how to construct, defend and attack a basic field fortification known as a “redoubt” just as an officer of His Majesty’s Corps of Engineers would have instructed. |
| 2 p.m. | Continental Army Encampment | Battle of the Capes Discover the contributions of free and enslaved pilots during what is considered the most significant naval battle in American history. |
| 2:30 p.m. | Revolution-era Farm | Kitchen Garden Tour Take a turn around the garden on the farm and see what’s in season! Try your hand grinding herbs that would be used in home remedies or help with weeding and watering as needed. |
Interpretive demonstrations & musical performances
Visitors to the Continental Army encampment will discover aspects of military life, from enlistment to troop supplies and flintlock muskets to 18th-century medical care. Throughout the day, visitors can discover military tactics on land and at sea with a look at the Battle of the Capes, one of the most significant naval battles in American history.
Artillery demonstrations, showcasing the varied roles of the artillery crew, will take place in the outdoor amphitheater at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., followed by the crew firing a salute in honor of the victory at Yorktown.
Farm visitors can learn about typical life of a Revolution-era farming family. Special demonstrations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. will explore 18th-century foodways and the convergence of cultures through food at the farm kitchen and enslaved people’s quarters.Learn more
On Yorktown Day on October 19, the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown offers free admission to active duty, reserve and retired military personnel and up to three direct family members with military identification.
FREE admission for residents of James City County, York County and the City of Williamsburg, including William & Mary students, with proof of residency.
