About

The Mathews VA250 Committee invites the Mathews community, neighbors, and friends, to celebrate and commemorate our Commonwealth’s place in history, at a concert on the Court Green, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. The Courthouse Community Orchestra, under the direction of Senior Airman Jarrett Kocan of the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band, will perform traditional American music through the ages. Join us on the green at 6:00 pm to memorialize the 248th anniversary of the May 15 creation of Virginia’s Declaration of Independence. The concert will begin at 6:30 pm.

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, and beyond.

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. Thus, 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. Bring your picnic baskets, lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy a historic evening with the Courthouse Community Orchestra.