These Small Virginia Towns Are Celebrating Big Birthdays In 2025

Virginia certainly doesn’t need an excuse to celebrate its Revolutionary‑era beginnings. Yet, 2025 hands the state a whopper of a reason to brag about the many historic events that took place here in the lead up to America’s independence from Britain in 1776.

Throughout 2025, communities across Virginia will mark anniversaries of events that not only shaped the state, but also the nation. From salutes to Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech to commemorative celebrations in communities big and small, Virginia is celebrating its role as the birthplace of the United States with several landmark events leading up to the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026. Find out where you can join the fun with this list of small Virginia towns celebrating big birthdays in 2025.

Williamsburg

It’s certainly fitting that Colonial Williamsburg, the world’s largest living history museum located in Williamsburg, heads this list of celebrations. The final national planning event for the country’s 2026 celebrations wrapped up here in March, a nod to Virginia’s important role in the “Common Cause” that led to independence. Throughout the year, Colonial Williamsburg hosts themed walking tours, chocolate‑making demonstrations in the historic Raleigh Tavern, and rare‑breed horse demos at its stables. They’ve even planned a courtroom reenactment of the 1775 Powder Incident led by Sons of the American Revolution interpreters.

Two other Williamsburg attractions will also be celebrating landmark birthdays in 2025. Though unrelated to the country’s big birthday next year, Kings Dominion theme park in nearby Doswell celebrates its big 50th anniversary with the unveiling of Rapterra, the world’s tallest and longest launched wing coaster. Standing 145 feet high with an impressive 3,086 feet of track, a 65‑mph catapult will see you launched in a thrilling simulation of the mythical Jungle Hawk in flight.

Back in town, Busch Gardens Williamsburg mines its own 50th birthday with the addition of Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge. This exciting 2,500‑foot inverted coaster boasts top speeds of 40 mph as it passes through a reconstructed Bavarian village. Opened on May 23, the ride resurrects the defunct Big Bad Wolf name while employing modern magnetic‑launch tech, all of which can be enjoyed with a celebratory 1975‑price‑rollback day and a retrospective photo exhibit.

Fort Belvoir

Whether you’re a military enthusiast or not, June’s going to be a great time to visit the National Museum of the United States Army. Located in Fort Belvoir, 15 miles southwest of Alexandria, this world-class museum is holding its Call To Arms: The Soldier and the Revolutionary War exhibit. Spread over 5,000 square feet, this impressive undertaking assembles some 280 artifacts from the Revolutionary War period, including rare muskets and artifacts from the colonies as well as from Britain, France, and Canada.

While exact details of Alexandria’s must-do summer event are still being finalized, the museum has verified that unique interactive displays will provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of soldiers and civilians on both sides of the conflict. Also worth noting is that the museum’s Veterans’ Hall will host a one‑day symposium on the war, and the facility is extending evening hours every Friday through Labor Day to accommodate expected crowds. Best of all, admission is free.

Chincoteague

Few events on the East Coast of the U.S. quite capture the imagination like Chincoteague’s famous Pony Swim. To celebrate the roundup’s 100th anniversary, the town’s kicking things off at dawn on July 30 when the Saltwater Cowboys, a group of volunteer firefighter horse wranglers, herd up to 150 wild Assateague ponies across the channel to Chincoteague’s Veterans Memorial Park. The 75‑yard crossing takes mere minutes, yet it’s the springboard for a full week of activities, including barn tours of the foals, a carnival dating to 1925, and a scholarship‑fund auction where select colts find new homes on the mainland.

Given the significance of the event, organizers expect the centennial swim to attract larger crowds than usual, so they have expanded viewing zones and added satellite shuttles from Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Other highlights include a temporary gallery of vintage photos and 1930s newspaper clippings about the swim at the Museum of Chincoteague Island. At the same time, the refuge’s Herbert H. Bateman Center will stage ranger‑led boat tours that explain how the semi‑feral herd’s genetics differ from domestic horses.

If you can stay for the evening, do it: nightfall signals it’s time to party. The carnival’s Ferris wheel offers sunset views over Chincoteague Bay, seafood vendors riff on oyster fritters and soft‑shell crabs, and local authors read from Misty of Chincoteague, the 1947 novel that made the ponies world‑famous. New for 2025 is a special centennial passport allowing neighbors to collect stamps at participating merchants like Sundial Books and the Island Theatre; gather enough and you’ll earn a commemorative medallion struck by the Chincoteague Island Arts Organization.

Hanover

From June 21 to July 31, Hanover’s Historic Courthouse Green transforms into a gallery without walls for “A Revolution in Art Expo  - A Common Call to All.” More than 50 Virginia artists will reinterpret Revolutionary themes through paintings, sculptures, textiles, and augmented‑reality installations. Notable features include a Liberty Tree made from blown glass; QR‑coded murals that overlay militia musters onto present‑day streetscapes; and a 12-foot-tall bronze statue of Patrick Henry etched with crowd‑sourced quotes about freedom.

Daily talks and workshops examine how modern artistic techniques mirror traditional 18th‑century skills like print‑making and saddle‑stitch bookbinding. Evening programs range from spoken‑word sessions on civic duty to colonial‑era social dance lessons taught on the courthouse steps. Traveling with youngsters? The Kid‑Citizen Lab partners with the Library of Virginia to digitize children’s artwork into an online time capsule to be reopened in 2076.

If you’re a fan of awesome food and drink experiences, Hanover Tavern’s culinary series combines 1700s staples like Jeffersonian macaroni pie and ale‑braised pork and is as close to period grub as you’ll get. Also of interest is that nearby Scotchtown runs candlelit tours emphasizing Henry’s oratory training.

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon commemorates America’s first president and the events leading up to 1776 with a wide array of cool programming throughout 2025. In addition to Revolutionary War reenactments pitting Continental soldiers against England’s infamous Redcoats, mid‑June sees Washington’s estate debut its Patriots Path, an immersive encampment where visitors launder linens, pack haversacks, and sling muskets to get a taste of what it was like for ordinary troops at the time.

Mount Vernon also extends its popular free‑return ticket deal again in 2025. Pay once this year, and you’ll be able to visit as many times as you want through December 31. This is a real bonus as new interpretive experiences will continue to be rolled out. Be sure to check out the special packages on offer at the Mount Vernon Inn, including lunch with behind‑the‑scenes mansion attic tours and, of course, great accommodations.

Finally, the Potomac Riverboat Company has revived its 40‑minute Independence Sail linking the estate pier with Old Town Alexandria. It’s an incredible experience that gets you out on the water with a chance to visit Mount Vernon. The spectacular views along the Potomac also make it worthwhile.

The Final Word

Given its nickname of “The Mother of Presidents,” Virginia’s pride in its history and its important role in founding the United States is well-founded. Virginia’s small towns in particular deserve recognition, with some of the best celebrating milestone birthdays in the lead up to America’s independence. Still others are celebrating landmark events and attractions which, while not connected to history, are themselves worthy of celebrating. Collectively, these small Virginia towns celebrating big birthdays in 2025 are just waiting for curious travelers to join in the fun.