Happy Valentine’s Day weekend! Love is in the air – and there are other things to do with your significant other than just dinner and some chocolates (though that’s a good start). It’s also President’s Day weekend, so there’s even more cause to celebrate. Make it a weekend affair by finding something interesting to do in town. We’ll help! Just read on to get some good ideas, because we collect the best bets for weekend fun right here in W.Y.D, which stands for What You’ll Do.
We pull these ideas off our community calendar, which you can find on the right side of WYDaily.com. Submitting to the calendar is free and easy, so make sure to add upcoming events for your group or organization.
This weekend is chock-full of stuff to do, including a four-day film festival hosted by William & Mary, several musical performances, President’s Day celebrations and some fun activities for the kids.
The Arts
This weekend is the William & Mary film festival! This year’s theme is “Film and Youth” – it features films about youth, films for youth audiences, films made by young people, and films that express or capture the meanings and feelings of youth. According to the festival website, “the festival will again feature both global and local films, guest filmmakers, receptions, and live musical performances, this year with an eye toward making us all young and young again.” There are so many things going on during the festival, we can’t list them all – but visit the festival website and see the full four-day lineup. Things kick off today!
The April Verch Band will perform in concert Friday night in the Williamsburg Library Theatre, as part of the Dewey Decibel Concert series. The internationally renowned Canadian fiddler, singer, songwriter and stepdancer has a passion for performing. With musical roots that lie deep in the fiddling of her native Ottawa Valley, April Verch’s repertoire also features traditional and contemporary tunes ranging in inspiration from Quebecois to the Appalachians, from Bluegrass to Brazilian. Find out how to get tickets and more information by checking out the calendar.
Guitarist Louis Vangieri will be performing at the College of William and Mary Bookstore on Sunday afternoon. Drawing influence from such diverse artists as The Beatles, James Taylor and Pat Metheny, Vangieri will perform an eclectic blend of acoustic covers and original works. Check out the calendar to get more details.
As part of its African American History Month programming, the Williamsburg Library is hosting singer Charles Bell this Sunday. With a rich, expansive, beautiful voice, Bell could stand in for one of the “Three Tenors” any time. He is a former officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and an educator, and has performed with the Virginia Choral Society. Visit the calendar to get ticket and showtime information.
History Goings On
Colonial Williamsburg presents several special programs in honor of Presidents’ Day weekend. All of the presentations explore the lives of the three Presidents — Washington, Jefferson and Madison — who first plied their political skills in 18th-century Williamsburg. The programs begin Saturday morning and conclude Sunday evening. Programs that require tickets include “The Great Men of Williamsburg,” where George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison discuss how their lives were shaped by their experiences in Williamsburg; “From A Virginia Governor” that offers the perspective of Patrick Henry, nearing the end of his third term as independent Virginia’s first governor, as he discusses the relationships he had over the years with Washington and Jefferson; and “An Evening with the Presidents,” when Washington, Jefferson and Madison talk about how they interacted and negotiated with the Congresses of their times. Visit the CW calendar for more information.
There is also a free President’s Day event: “Salute to the Presidents” will feature the Founding Fathers, the Fifes and Drums, and the military programs staff as they celebrate the institution of the Presidency and the citizens who have served in that office. “Salute to the Presidents” will take place at 4 p.m. Sunday on Market Square.
Books and Talks
This evening will feature another installment of the popular Constitutional Conversations program, which examines our nation’s founding document. William and Mary law students lead age-appropriate discussions on constitutional topics for adults and middle and high school students. Today’s topic is “Federalism: Where is the Power?” and it is geared towards middle and high-school students (last week’s talk was structured more for adults). Check out the calendar for details.
Author Judy Bloodgood Bander will be signing her book “No Borrowed Glory” at the College of William and Mary Bookstore this Friday. The story takes place in the summer of 1781; 13-year-old Nathaniel Chiles uncovers a plot to murder Col. Josiah Parker. The calendar can tell you when this will happen. There are several other authors signing their books this weekend at the college bookstore, too – you can get all that information on the bookstore website.
Family Fun
It’s reptile weekend at the Virignia Living Museum! This annual cold-blooded weekend at the Virginia Living Museum explores the bizarre and beautiful aspects of reptiles. You can see exotic reptiles from around the world and reptiles native to Virginia on exhibit and in live reptile shows. Turtle Cove will be filled with an African Spur Tortoise, Red Footed Tortoise, Snapping Turtles, Chicken Turtles and more. Guest exhibitors include Iguana Rescue, VIIPer, Va. Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries and Va. Herpetological Society. Guest speakers will present on a variety of herpetology topics. Check it out – you can find out more by visiting the calendar.
Bring the kids out to the William & Mary Storytelling Festival at the Williamsburg Library Theatre on Saturday morning, and they’ll get a chance to hear stories from Rosemary Willis, the reigning Miss Virginia. The calendar has details.
Fundraisers
The William & Mary Tribe Women’s Basketball team invites fans to promote Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness at their game vs. Delaware at Kaplan Arena on Sunday at 2 p.m. by wearing purple. Anyone wearing purple will gain free admission! See the calendar for more.
The Toano Middle School PTA is hosting the Toano ICY 8K on Saturday. The race starts at Toano Middle School; there will also be a one-mile Fun Run at 9:30 a.m. and the 8K will start at 10 a.m. Race day registration is $25. The Fun Run is free, but there is a $10 fee for a T-shirt. Proceeds from the race will benefit a running trail for the school’s running club and the PTA. Check the calendar for more.
The James City Ruritans are holding a spaghetti dinner fundraiser Saturday night at Candle Light Kitchens. The proceeds will benefit local nonprofits and youth organizations. Here is more information.
Outdoor Fun
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, Shirley Devan, Certified Virginia Master Naturalist and Williamsburg Bird Club President, will lead a fact-filled workshop about the habits of the Bluebird family season by season and how several local groups monitor bluebird trails in our area. After the talk, Shirley will lead a walk through the area to look for bluebirds and to see their nesting boxes. Those interested should meet in the Freedom Park Interpretive Center.
