Spanberger to commemorate America’s 250th with address at Colonial Williamsburg

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Gov. Abigail Spanberger is set to deliver the keynote address at "America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together" Saturday afternoon.

This event is taking place at Market Square North in Colonial Williamsburg. Other special guests include filmmaker Ken Burns and singer-songwriter Judy Collins.

Watch related coverage: Hundreds turn out for Fourth of July parade in Yorktown despite extreme heat

America 250 exhibitions are set to take place across Colonial Williamsburg on Saturday. A reading of the Declaration of Independence, music from the Colonial Williamsburg Fife & Drums and reenactments of notable American figures will be featured throughout the day.

A drone show is set to begin at 9:25 a.m., with a fireworks show over the Governor's Palace wrapping up the festivities at 9:35 p.m. The fireworks show is set to be the largest display in the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's history, according to their website.

The following statement was released by Spanberger's press office ahead of the Fourth of July festivities:

“As we mark 250 years of independence, we reflect on the enduring principles that inspired our nation — liberty, self‑government, and the lasting belief that we can shape our own future. For a quarter millennium, we have aspired to those founding ideals — sustaining our experiment in representative democracy at home and serving as a beacon of freedom and opportunity across the world.

“This weekend, I join Virginians in reflecting on this history — and on the common bonds uniting our Commonwealth and our country. 250 years of progress that has never once moved in a perfectly straight line — of rights won and setbacks endured, of hurdles and hardships and bitter division, and of ordinary people who kept going anyway. We honor the service and sacrifice of Veterans and service members who have safeguarded these ideals at home and abroad, and the generations of Americans who have strengthened our nation and expanded our democracy.

“Our Commonwealth has always stood at the center of this story. To all Virginians, I hope you have a joyous and meaningful Independence Day weekend with family and loved ones.”

Watch related coverage: Colonial Williamsburg visitors come prepared to take in history in extreme heat

News 3 spoke with visitors at Colonial Williamsburg on Friday amid the extreme heat. No matter the temperature, visiting Colonial Williamsburg on the eve of the country’s 250th birthday, was an opportunity some didn’t want to pass up.

“We are homeschoolers, so this is one way of giving our kids a hands-on education to kind of just learn in the moment and have a school as we go," visitor Daniel Parks said.

“We are big supporters, big patriots. My husband was 28 years in the Army, Airborne Ranger. I have a lot of people that served in the service in our family. We’re here to pay tribute to America," visitor Sue Cleary said.

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