Yorktown Day

Saturday, October 19, 2024

The world changed on October 19, 1781!  Join in the festivities to commemorate the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 and the Revolutionary War victory that paved the way for America and her freedom.

The day begins with a wreath-laying ceremony followed by a patriotic parade down Main Street. Enjoy a performance by the Fifes and Drums of York Town, and be sure to visit all of the town’s historic sites, such as the Nelson House, Yorktown Custom House, York County Historical Museum, Watermen’s Museum, and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. On the Battlefield Tour Roads, visit siege lines, redoubts, and Surrender Field.

Schedule of Events
(Note: If there is rain on the 19th the patriotic events will be in the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown)

  • 8:25 a.m. – Commemorative Ceremony at the French Cemetery, Yorktown Battlefield. Sponsored by The American Friends of Lafayette and The Friends of Rochambeau
  • 9:10 a.m. – Commemorative Ceremony at the French Memorial, honoring the French and American Alliance, sponsored by the French Wars Veterans Association in Washington, DC
  • 9:10 a.m. – Wreath Laying Ceremony at the grave of Governor Thomas Nelson, Jr. at Grace Episcopal Church, Yorktown, sponsored by the Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution
  • 10:30 a.m. – Flyover down Historic Main Street by the French Air Force, Lafayette Squadron 
  • 10:30 a.m. – Yorktown Day Parade, Main Street, sponsored by Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation 
  • 11:15 a.m. – Patriotic Exercises and Memorial Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Victory Monument, Yorktown, sponsored by the Yorktown Day Association and the National Park Service at Colonial National Historical Park
  • 1 p.m. – Historic Nelson House, Swan Tavern and Poor Potter sites open for visiting until 4:00pm.
  • 1 p.m. – The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps performance at The Victory Monument, Colonial National Historical Park
  • 3 p.m. – The Williamsburg Youth Orchestra, outdoor performance at 405 Main St, Yorktown, presented by Yorktown & Co.
  • 3:15 p.m. – Dr. Thomas  Chávez lecture about Francisco de Saavedra (1746-1819) at York Hall 

(Credit to www.visityorktown.org)