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Vienna will launch a packed year of local events celebrating America’s 250th birthday with a free patriotic gathering near the Town Green on Sunday, Jan. 4.
“Ring in the New Year with LOVE” begins at 3 p.m. beside the Memorial Fountain on Maple Avenue. The family-friendly event will feature a patriotic singalong, music from a Vienna Community Band ensemble and a community bell ringing. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own bells.
The celebration also serves as a send-off for Virginia’s traveling LOVE sign, which arrived beside the fountain on Dec. 29. It will remain in Vienna through Jan. 5 before moving to another destination.
Organizers are encouraging residents who photograph themselves with the installation to share their pictures on social media using the hashtags #LoveVA and #Vienna250.
The festivities come as Vienna and Fairfax County accelerate preparations for the July 4 anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Historic Vienna’s upcoming programs include three virtual conversations about Ken Burns’s documentary series “The American Revolution,” which premiered in November. History experts and local author Derek Baxter will lead sessions at 7 p.m. on Jan. 13, Jan. 27 and Feb. 10, with two episodes discussed at each meeting.
Participants should watch the relevant episodes beforehand, but they do not need to attend every session. Meeting links are available by emailing Vienna250th@gmail.com.
Celebrations expand across Fairfax County
Other commemorative programs include a free 10 a.m. screening of the movie musical “1776” at the Leila Gordon Theatre in Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road. The event listing gives the date as Monday, Dec. 5.
Pohick Church in Lorton will offer free tours of the colonial-era church on the first Saturday of each month, beginning Jan. 3.
Fairfax County Public Library will start its yearlong anniversary programming with Colonial Day at Great Falls Library on Wednesday, Jan. 7. The children’s event runs from 4 to 5 p.m. and will include treats, games and crafts, including a chance to make a “colonial fidget toy.” Registration is encouraged but not required.
The library system has assigned a different theme to each month: Foundations of Freedom in January; African American History and Civic Impact in February; Women Who Shaped America in March; America’s Natural Legacy in April; Immigrant Journeys in May; Voices of Pride and Progress in June; Celebrate Independence in July; Youth and Education in America in August; Democracy in Action in September; innovation and invention in October; Thankful for Our Past in November; and Looking Forward in December.
Virginia has been building toward the semiquincentennial since 2023 through lectures, Revolutionary War-inspired demonstrations, a mobile museum and a passport program intended to encourage visits to historic sites.
Fairfax County’s commemorations are being managed by the nonprofit Celebrate Fairfax Inc. in partnership with the Fairfax County Semiquincentennial Commission. The commission began as a workgroup in 2021 and is scheduled to remain active through June 30, 2027.