2026 Programs

All events are open to the public and free unless tickets or registration noted

 Colonial Tea | May 9 -  2:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Enjoy a bubbly welcome on the patio, with elegant instrumental music and Historic Christ Church as the backdrop. Then take your seat inside the Bayne Center at a table beautifully styled and set with a tantalizing selection of finger foods, including savory and sweet options, along with a variety of teas. Our guest speaker will bring Abigail Adams to life with a first-person reenactment. Hailed for her famous admonition that the Founding Fathers "remember the ladies" in their new laws, Adams was not only an early advocate for women's rights but also a vital confidant and advisor to her husband John Adams, the nation's second president. Tickets $55 each, $100 per couple, $300 for a table of 6, $400 for a table of 8. Seating is limited!

Tickets here: Colonial Tea

  

68th Annual Meeting of the Foundation for Historic Christ Church, Inc | May 21 - 4:00 PM

Speaker: Lisa Hull - Economic Development and Tourism Coordinator, Northern Neck Planning District Commission

Memorial Day Service | May 25 - 11:00 a.m. (Music); 11:30 a.m. (Service)

Sponsored by the Northern Neck Chapter, Military Officers Association of America; the Foundation for Historic Christ Church, Inc.; and Grace Episcopal Church, Kilmarnock.

Virginia in 1776 – Rappahannock Institute for Lifelong Learning | June 3, 10, 17 - 10:00 a.m. - Noon

On the eve of the 250th anniversary of American Independence, this course examines Virginia in the year 1776. Incorporating primary documents and images, the course looks at the pivotal roles Richard Henry Lee, George Mason, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and others played in Virginia and nationally as the Revolution entered its second year. Highlights include the Second Continental Congress and Jefferson’s writing of the Declaration of Independence and the Fifth Virginia Convention and Mason’s work to create the Declaration of Rights and state constitution.

Offered in partnership with Rappahannock Community College’s Rappahannock Institute for Lifelong Learning program (RILL). Instructor: Robert Teagle, HCC&M Executive Director. Registration here: rappahannock.edu/foundation/lifelong-learning

"ALL Men are Created Equal:" The Declaration of Independence and Black Freedom Suits & Freedom Petitions | June 11 - 5:00 PM

The Declaration of Independence asserted that "all men are created equal" and have natural rights and the right of self-government by consent. Slavery contradicted these core principles of the Declaration of Independence as America's creedal document. In part one of HCC&M's 2026 Summer Speaker Series, Tony Williams, a Senior Fellow at the Bill of Rights Institute, shows how enslaved people were the first to make a claim on those principles of liberty, equality, and self-government to fulfill the unrealized promise of America. Using the Declaration of Independence as their "North Star," they launched "freedom petitions" and "freedom suits," making a claim on natural rights with unexpected and surprising outcomes. Williams will also sign copies of his new book Divided Over the Declaration: How an Enduring Debate Sustains the Vision of America.

Wine & cheese reception with speaker and book signing. Part one of the 2026 Summer Speaker Series 

Tickets: $50/presentation, $95 couple/presentation, or $140/series. Tickets here: 2026 Summer Speaker Series

“Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation” | June 22 – August 3 - 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Sundays 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.)

Special traveling exhibition explores the unique and essential people, events and sites in Virginia that helped bring liberty and democracy to a nation. Free exhibition produced in partnership by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and presented by Virginia's 250th Commission. 

VA250 Mobile Museum Experience | June 26 – June 28 - 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 

HCC&M hosts the VA250 Mobile Museum Experience - a hands-on, interactive, immersive "museum on wheels!" Housed in an expandable tractor trailer that is traveling Virginia and beyond, the VA250 mobile museum's exhibition "Out of Many, One" shares the stories of the people, places and key events in Virginia that shaped the American Revolution. Free admission made possible by the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission.

 

Hands-On History Day | June 26 - 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Step back in time with this exciting program in colonial Virginia history. Make a brick by hand, write with a quill pen, make a grave rubbing, play colonial games, create a silhouette portrait, build a brick wall and more. Enjoy a pizza party for lunch and take home a souvenir bookmark, Museum Activity Book, and knapsack. Ages 6-12. Space is limited and pre-registration required: dbyram@christchurch1735.org

VA250 History Day | June 27 - 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American founding with special exhibitions, living history reenactors, a historical puppet show, hands-on activities for children, local history booths, food trucks and more. Tour the VA250 Mobile Museum and the special traveling exhibition "Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation.” Enjoy interactive exhibitions in the museum and tour the historic 1735 church. Free admission.

Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence with Patriotic Music | July 2 - 4:00 p.m. 

Patriotic celebration and reading of the Declaration of Independence inside Historic Christ Church. With the Cobbs Hall Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Richard Henry Lee Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

 

"A Pefect Frenzy"  | July 8 - 5:00 p.m.

As the American Revolution broke out in New England in the spring of 1775, dramatic events unfolded in Virginia that proved every bit as decisive as the battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill in uniting the colonies against Britain. That June, following his raid on the powder magazine in Williamsburg in April and increasing tensions with patriots, Virginia’s last royal governor Lord Dunmore fled the capital and built a stronghold in Norfolk. In November, Dunmore issued a proclamation promising freedom to enslaved people and indentured servants owned by patriots who joined the British war effort. Several hundred enslaved people joined Dunmore’s Ethiopian Regiment, which saw combat in late 1775 and into 1776. Join author Andrew Lawler as he traces these momentous events that helped push Virginians towards independence.

Wine & cheese reception with speaker and book signing. Part two of the 2026 Summer Speaker Series 

Tickets: $50/presentation, $95 couple/presentation, or $140/series. Tickets here: 2026 Summer Speaker Series

“You and I have passed our Lives in Serious Times”: Learning from Jefferson and Adams  | August 20 - 5:00 p.m.

Join Monticello President and American historian Jane Kamensky to explore the past, present, and future of civic friendship and its ongoing relationship to our constitutional democracy. The talk centers on the relationship of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, founding friends in the 1770s who became factional foes in the 1790s, and distant enemies for over a decade thereafter. The remarkable rebuilding of their friendship, via letters, in the 1810s offers a compelling model of frank disagreement navigated through shared commitment to the American project. Kamensky discusses the ways Monticello is sharing their complex history to nourish the civic knowledge, skills and dispositions of its audience, and invites us to consider the ways that museums, historic sites, and other community learning partners can help revitalize the ties that bind Americans as a people. 

A leading historian of early America and the United States, Dr. Kamensky appeared throughout the recent Florentine Films/Ken Burns documentary The American Revolution, on which she also served as a scholarly advisor. 

Wine & cheese reception with speaker. Part three of the 2026 Summer Speaker Series 

Tickets: $50/presentation, $95 couple/presentation, or $140/series. Tickets here: 2026 Summer Speaker Series

John H. Hunt II Chesapeake History Forum | October 17 - 4:00 p.m.

Lady Frances Berkeley and the 350th Anniversary of Bacon's Rebellion

In the wake of Bacon’s Rebellion, join Lady Frances Berkeley, wife of Virginia’s Royal Governor, as she composes a letter to her husband while guiding you through a brief history of the recent political upheavals that saw Jamestown laid to ash. Will King Charles offer justice to Sir William Berkeley and clear him from the accusations of wrongdoing? Historian and thespian Amy Stallings transports you back to this tumultuous period in the Chesapeake in a stunning first-person performance you do not want to miss! 

Enjoy fresh oysters, shrimp, handcrafted cocktails and a light supper at this annual program that honors longtime Foundation for Historic Christ Church volunteer and board member John Hunt, an avid mariner and student of the Chesapeake who with his wife Page spent decades exploring the Bay before his passing in 2021.

Seating is Limited. Tickets available here: Lady Frances Berkeley - Chesapeake History Forum

Photo by Chuck Durfor

 The Holly & the Ivy | December 7 - 3:30 p.m.

Celebrate the season at Historic Christ Church with traditional songs, carols, and music. Join in this seasonal songfest in the beautifully “greened” church. Featuring members of The Chesapeake Chorale and the Christchurch School Cantorion. Dress warmly. Refreshments follow. Admission: two non-perishable items for Healthy Harvest Food Bank.

 

PREVIOUSLY HELD 2026 EVENTS:

Forward Thinking | February 6 - 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Free financial planning seminar with local tax and estate planning experts Dwight Clarke and Eleanor Brown. Lunch provided. Space is limited. RSVP required by February 2 to dbyram@christchurch1735.org or (804) 438-2441.

Movie Night with HCC&M | March 5 - 4:00 p.m.

HCC&M will host a private showing of The American Miracle: Our Nation is No Accident at Compass Entertainment Complex. The movie includes scenes filmed at Historic Christ Church! HCC&M receives a percentage of concession and restaurant sales, so join us for this special viewing. Check out the trailer here: The American Miracle

 "The Virginia Declaration of Rights at 250: Commemorating a Cornerstone of American Founding Principles" | March 15 - 2:00 p.m. 

NNK250 Signature Speaker Series - Dr. Daniel Dreisbach

The Virginia Declaration of Rights, adopted unanimously by Virginia’s Fifth Convention on June 12, 1776, is a seminal, post-colonial state paper affirming republican principles, limited government, and humankind’s natural rights. It is arguably the most imitated of America’s founding documents. Indeed, it is one of the most influential texts in the American constitutional tradition. Often described as the first modern declaration or bill of rights in America, it is a distillation of the great principles of liberty and constitutionalism that revolutionary Americans believed were derived from English traditions and, more generally, western culture. The Virginia Declaration informed not only core principles of the US Declaration of Independence (1776) but also the language and content of numerous subsequent bills of rights in the respective states and nation. It also made profound innovations to the way Americans viewed religious liberty.

Talk two in a five-part series in the Northern Neck’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding. Learn more about the series here: NNK250 Signature Speaker Series

Volunteer Spring Training | March 24-26 - 8:30 a.m. - Noon

Join the HCC&M volunteer team for our annual spring continuing education sessions as we get ready for the 2026 visitor season. Enjoy engaging presentations on the history of Christ Church and colonial Virginia by leading scholars. Participate in hands-on workshops with fellow volunteers. Play HCC&M Jeopardy!TM  and win a prize. Coffee and goodies served daily with lunch on 3/26 to conclude the program. Anyone from the community interested in participating or learning more about volunteer opportunities at Historic Christ Church & Museum is encouraged to attend. Contact the office at info@christchurch1735.org or visit Volunteer at HCC  for more information.

 Visitor Season Begins | April 3 - 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Carter Reception Center and Museum. Guided tours of 1735 church. Gift shop favorites.

Click here for 2026 Visitor Hours

 

Poisoned Dwarf  | April 11 - 4:00 p.m.

Poisoned Dwarf is a Celtic music group that plays virtuosic, innovative, and passionate renditions of traditional Irish and Scottish music on acoustic instruments. Five talented musicians, including Mei-Li Garcia (Beane), create a driving sonic energy that has been captivating audiences for over a decade with whistles, flutes, violin, guitar, percussion, and uilleann pipes together with exciting and lyrical vocals. Poisoned Dwarf performs at a wide variety of musical venues from highland festivals to theaters, from churches to sophisticated listening venues throughout the East Coast, to the occasional pub, just for fun. 

Kirkin’ of the Tartan Service | April 12 - 1:30 p.m.

Traditional Scottish blessing & celebration. Full tartan/Scottish church service. Bagpipes, drums, and marching parade with the Kilmarnock District & Pipe Band and the St. Andrew’s Society of Williamsburg.

 Cantori Choral Ensemble  | April 19 - 4:00 p.m.

In keeping with choral music which would have been performed during the eighteenth century, Cantori Choral Ensemble will present a program of all a cappella music. Included in the selections will be familiar folk songs, songs of love both sacred and secular, and well-known spirituals. Under the direction of Agnes French, former Director of Music at Grace Episcopal Church in Kilmarnock, the Cantori ensemble features choral singers and professional musicians, including Mei-Li Beane, formerly of Kilmarnock. The group celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025.