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The Mathews VA250 Committee, the Mathews Museum and the Mathews County Historical Society invite the Mathews community, neighbors and friends, in celebrating and commemorating our Commonwealth’s place in the nation’s history, at a concert at Mathews High School, Sunday, May 18, 2025, 3:00 pm. The Courthouse Community Orchestra, under the direction of Staff Sergeant Jarrett Kocan, U.S.A.F., will entertain with a cross section of recognizable melodies ranging from Broadway plays such as Wicked, to Swan Lake to David Bowie. The concert, "Let's Dance! Music Americans Know and Love," which memorializes the 249th anniversary of the May 15 creation of Virginia’s Declaration of Independence, is part of a series of activities which will occur as we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

The Commonwealth of Virginia is leading the nation in preparing for America’s 250th birthday celebration—a semi quincentennial—on July 4, 2026. In 2023 the General Assembly formed a Virginia Revolution 250 Commission and in December, our Board of Supervisors authorized Mathews County’s very own Committee, chaired by Fred Lyon. The Committee is comprised of local volunteers, planning a series of outreach events and activities leading up to July 4, 2026.

The Fifth Virginia Convention was a meeting of the Patriot legislature of Virginia, held in Williamsburg from May 6 to July 5, 1776. After days of debate, the delegates voted unanimously on May 15th, to instruct Virginia’s representatives in the Congress, to introduce a motion for independence. The Commonwealth of Virginia claims its place in history with the adoption of its own Declaration of Rights. This new Virginia constitution became a model for other colonies, as they too, began establishing their respective new governments. A few weeks later, on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing to the world that 13 North American colonies had separated from Great Britain.

There is no charge for this event. Come and enjoy a delightful afternoon with the Courthouse Community Orchestra. Doors open at 2:30. For information, visit www.mathewscountyva.gov/463/Mathews-VA250