Norfolk, VA

Local Events

Reenactments, heritage festivals, and living history programs — experience the Revolution where it happened.

List Calendar

Upcoming This Year

Dec

– 10

ReenactmentFeatured

Battle of Great Bridge Reenactment

Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways History Museum, Chesapeake (near Norfolk)

Annual living history reenactment of the December 9, 1775 Battle of Great Bridge, often called 'the Lexington of the South,' where Virginia patriots defeated Lord Dunmore's forces including the Royal Ethiopian Regiment. Features musket and artillery demonstrations, period encampments, sutlers, and educational programs about this pivotal early Revolutionary War engagement.

FreeHeld on the weekend closest to December 9; typically the second weekend of December. Contact the Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways History Museum to confirm exact dates.More info →

Jun

Guided Tour

Fort Norfolk Open House & Living History Day

Fort Norfolk, 803 Front Street, Norfolk, VA

The Norfolk Historical Society opens the grounds of Fort Norfolk—one of the oldest U.S. fortifications, authorized by President George Washington in 1794—for guided tours and living history demonstrations. Interpreters discuss the fort's Revolutionary-era origins, coastal defense, and Norfolk's role in the early Republic. Period military demonstrations and exhibits on Norfolk's wartime destruction are featured.

Free / Donations acceptedTypically held in late spring or early summer; Fort Norfolk opens for periodic special events throughout the year. Contact the Norfolk Historical Society to confirm scheduled open house dates.More info →

Jul

Festival

Independence Day Celebration at Town Point Park

Town Point Park, Norfolk Waterfront, Norfolk, VA

Norfolk's annual Fourth of July celebration along the Elizabeth River waterfront at Town Point Park features patriotic concerts, historical programming, and a major fireworks display over the harbor. The event takes place on the same waterfront where Lord Dunmore's naval bombardment and the subsequent burning of Norfolk occurred on New Year's Day 1776, making it a particularly resonant setting for celebrating American independence.

FreeJuly 4th; some programming may shift to the nearest weekend. Check Norfolk Festevents for exact schedule.More info →

Nov

Lecture

Lord Dunmore's Proclamation Anniversary Lecture & Program

MacArthur Memorial (Historic Norfolk Courthouse), Norfolk, VA

A lecture or panel program commemorating the November 7, 1775 proclamation by Royal Governor Lord Dunmore offering freedom to enslaved people who escaped Patriot owners and joined British forces—one of the most consequential documents of the Revolution. Historians discuss the formation of the Ethiopian Regiment, the experiences of Black Loyalists, and Norfolk's central role in this transformative moment. Often hosted in partnership with local museums and universities.

FreeTypically held around November 7; may be scheduled on the nearest weekday or weekend. Contact the MacArthur Memorial, Norfolk State University, or the Hampton Roads Naval Museum to confirm programming.

Earlier This Year

Jan

Ceremony

Burning of Norfolk Commemoration

Norfolk Waterfront / Norfolk Historical Society

An annual observance marking the January 1, 1776 bombardment and burning of Norfolk—the most devastating destruction of any American colonial town during the Revolution. Programming may include historical lectures, wreath-laying, walking tours of the former colonial waterfront, and discussions of Lord Dunmore's campaign and the experiences of Loyalists, Patriots, and enslaved people who fled to the British lines.

FreeHeld around January 1; programming varies by year. Contact the Norfolk Historical Society or the Chrysler Museum to confirm whether a formal commemoration is scheduled.