Arlington is gearing up to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday with a history festival and, potentially, a bell-ringing, outdoor movies and more.
“It’s a great opportunity” to bring history to the people, said Peter Vaselopulos, president of the Arlington Historical Society.
The historical society has been designated by the county government as Arlington’s official organizer of activities surrounding the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Programming at the local level will focus not just on the Revolutionary War era, but other key periods, as well.
“We just take it for granted that everyone knows this history, but they don’t,” Vaselopulos said in a Jan. 27 interview with ARLnow.
His remarks came after Vaselopulos met with County Manager Mark Schwartz and other government officials on Jan. 23, briefing them on both firmed-up plans and potential additional projects.
Vaselopulos said the meeting went well.
“I have no complaints,” he said. “Arlington County is definitely stepping up.”
For now, the signature local project is planned to be a May 9 history festival at Kenmore Middle School. The event is being funded through a grant from Virginia Humanities and has the support of the school system and Kenmore principal David McBride, Vaselopulos said.
“He’s been nothing but supportive,” he said.
Other events and projects being considered include:
- A “history passport” residents can have stamped as they visit local sites of historic significance
- A “Let Freedom Ring” bell-ringing on July 4 at 2:50 p.m., part of a statewide effort
- Completion of a short documentary on county history
- Screening of movies with Revolutionary-era themes at outdoor venues around July 4
- Large flags to drape major buildings for the holiday
- An interactive social-media campaign
- Multiple “pop-up” activities at events and locations countywide
The historical society also is compiling 250 local-history stories that will be presented on its website and in print format.
Those who wish to participate in the history festival, or volunteer or be a sponsor of events, can sign up on the historical society’s website.
Corporate sponsorships could go a long way in helping Arlington celebrate the occasion, Vaselopulos said.
Sponsorship packages will span five levels, from Bronze to Platinum Plus, and start at $250.
Also winning praise from Vaselopulos was the Columbia Pike Partnership, for providing information about staging a large-scale community event.
Andrew Schneider, executive director of the partnership, said his organization was happy to be of service.
“It was not only our pleasure but also our privilege working with the Arlington Historical Society as they lead the efforts in celebrating our nation’s 250th birthday and the myriad of opportunities and events that will take place over the coming year,” Schneider said, adding:
“We are grateful for the role that Columbia Pike has played in Arlington’s history and we are grateful for the Historical Society for their help in continuing to tell that story.”
Among those coordinating efforts with the historical society is the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service.
“We are thrilled to support programming that highlights Arlington’s historical significance, amplifies diverse stories and enhances the visitor experience at historic sites across Arlington,” said Scott Baker, its marketing manager.
“As we commemorate the 250th, we’re excited to offer new ways for visitors and locals to connect with Arlington’s history and explore the county,” Baker said.
In the lead-up to the 1976 Bicentennial celebration, the county government itself led planning efforts through a community task force.
Across the country, the Bicentennial focused primarily on Founding Fathers and the Revolutionary era, while those planning the 2026 festivities aim to broaden the scope.
This year not only marks the nation’s 250th birthday, it also is the 70th anniversary of the Arlington Historical Society’s founding in 1956.
The year also represents the 25th anniversary of the county’s bicentennial celebration of 2001, which marked 200 years since what today is Arlington and Alexandria were incorporated into the then-new District of Columbia.
Those two areas were returned to Virginia sovereignty in 1847-48, and were formally split into two independent jurisdictions — Alexandria County and the town (later city) of Alexandria — not long after the Civil War.
The General Assembly in 1920 changed the name of Alexandria County to Arlington. County officials had planned for multiple events to celebrate the centennial in 2020, but they had to be downscaled owing to the arrival of Covid.
The 26 square miles of modern-day Arlington had, until their incorporation into D.C. in 1801, been part of Fairfax County, which was created in 1742.
Going back further, today’s Arlington had been part of Charles River Shire, one of the eight original “shires” (counties) established in 1634 by the British Crown in its Virginia colony.
The eight shires subsequently were subdivided multiple times, with the local area becoming part of York County, Northumberland County, Westmoreland County, Stafford County and Prince William County before the establishment of Fairfax County.
