With summer inching up, Merchants Square has announced the schedule of events for the warmer months and into the fall.
Built between 1928 and 1935, Merchants Square is recognized as one of the first planned shopping malls in the U.S. In 2005, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
This year’s calendar of events includes many seasonal favorites, as well as some new additions. The shopping and dining adjacent to the colonial sector will host the farmers markets and food events, road races and car shows, and art shows and concerts, plus an encore of the “Merchants Square Birthday Bash.”
Highlights of upcoming events include:
- Williamsburg Farmers Market: A longstanding tradition of produce, crafts and other vendors lining the cobblestones, the market opened March 8 and will continue weekly through November. There will be one additional Holiday Market this year.
- Summer Breeze Concert Series: This program kicks off with an Independence Day Concert on July 2, and fill the air with music each Wednesday through Aug. 27. July’s tunes will be supplied by party bands RareMixx, Kings of Swing, Karnival and Slapnation – in that order – and the USAF Air Force and Army bands will entertain audience in August. All concerts start at 7 p.m. and are free. Concertgoers are advised to bring a lawn chair.
- Prince George Movie Nights: Outdoor flicks will continue throughout the summer, beginning June 15. The films will start at dusk Sundays.
- Car Shows: Along with the sixth annual Williamsburg Invitational Car Show on June 8, Merchants Square will add a second show Nov. 2 with the inaugural Williamsburg Jaguar Gathering.
- Birthday Bash: On Oct. 3, the band Right On will fill the square with music for a birthday celebration.
- An Occasion for the Arts: The 46th annual downtown arts even will feature more than 160 juried artists and creative events. The festival will be over the weekend of Oct. 4 and 5.
A full list of events can be found on the Merchants Square online calendar. All outdoor events in the Square are free of charge unless otherwise specified.
