YORKTOWN, Va. — Friday's heat did not stop neighbors and visitors from coming out to day one of the Sail Yorktown Festival. The festival celebrates 250 years of American history, drawing crowds from across the region to experience tall ships, local vendors, and educational programming.
Robert Delahaya, a neighbor from Hampton, said he was glad to be there.
"I absolutely love America. I think we should celebrate every day."
Chris Holtman traveled from Roanoke with a cardboard cutout of his granddaughter Kaylin to take in the festivities.
"Just celebrating 250 years of America, with my granddaughter Kaylin. We came to see the big tall ships," Holtman said. This is a cut-out we take to ball games to support her. She’s a cheerleader. We like to cut up and have fun. I’m just being paw-paw."
Holtman and his family were among those who watched the tall ships Friday morning as the festival kicked off with the Parade of Sail.
Some of the ships on display include Jamestown Settlement's Godspeed—a recreation of the square-rigged merchant ship that carried 105 passengers and 39 crew on the legendary 1606-1607 voyage from England to Virginia—to the colonial sloop Luna, operated by the Colonial Seaport Foundation. Visitors can also experience history aboard Historic Yorktown's homeported schooner Alliance II, which explores the scenic York River, or sail on Serenity, a 60-foot gaff-rigged schooner docked at Riverwalk Landing Piers.
Local vendors are also part of the experience. Jessica Thompson, owner of Sea Enchantments from Smithfield, is selling jewelry made from sea glass found along local waterways.
"All the seaglass is locally found. Basically, old merchandise that was thrown into the river from anywhere from 100 to 200 years ago and these are old bottles, old wine bottles, old plates, and pieces of history that are now turned back into jewelry," Thompson said.
The Sail Yorktown Festival is not only about shopping and fun. Attendees can also learn about Yorktown's vital role in shaping the history of the country. The 1781 Siege of Yorktown was the game-changing moment that ended the Revolutionary War and secured the independence of the United States.
Owen Lanier, executive director of the Steamboat Era Museum, offered some deeper historical context about Yorktown's significance.
"Yorktown, for the longest time, and it's weird enough, it was because of a meteor, a meteor hit out there in the Chesapeake Bay and created one of the deepest water ports here on the Chesapeake Bay at Yorktown," Lanier said.
This weekend's festival also features battle reenactments, live music, interactive history games put on by the National Park Service, ship tours, and more. For more information about Sail Yorktown Festival, click here.
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