WILLIAMSBURG – When Williamsburg was incorporated in 1771, the United States wasn’t yet a country and the 13 colonies were five years away from declaring their independence. Now, after postponing its 250th anniversary due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the town will be celebrating the milestone this weekend.
“I think that the town is feeling quite good about it,” said Daria D’Arienzo, the archivist at the Meekins Library. “The delay gave us a greater appreciation of coming together to celebrate.”
The town will celebrate the quarter-century mark with a parade, food trucks, a square dance and live music, among other activities and events.
“The activities are very family-focused,” said Lisa Bertoldi, chairwoman of the 250th Anniversary Committee.
Celebrations will kick off on Friday at Lashway Field off River Road with a fireworks watch party from 6 to 9 p.m. hosted by the Lashway family. The party will include food trucks, music and face painting for children. The fireworks are set to start at 9 p.m.
There also will be a hot dog grill at Florence Bank earlier on Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday will feature a festival that will include music, a dunk tank and a square dance, while Sunday will feature a parade that will start at 9:30 a.m. in Haydenville on the corner of Route 9 and South Main Street.
“We’re trying to create a mobile celebration,” said Miana Hoyt Dawson, who serves on the 250th Anniversary Committee and co-chairs the parade committee.
The grand marshal of the parade will be Linwood Clark, who is the attendant at the town’s transfer station on Saturdays and is known for his striking hats.
“He has a deep connection to this town,” Hoyt Dawson said.
The committee also has issued a land acknowledgment of the indigenous people who stewarded the land before European settlement and the town’s incorporation. It was written by Alexis Major Jameson, a member of the group Showing Up for Racial Justice, alongside Rochelle Wildfong, the assistant director of the Meekins Library.
“I’ve learned a ton about our town,” Major Jameson said.
She also expressed an interest in taking the land acknowledgment to Town Meeting, and she said that at this year’s annual Town Meeting, Williamsburg residents voted to support changing the state flag and seal — which currently contains a Native American with a sword above his head.
Another anniversary activity is a collage, “This is Who We Are!” at the Meekins Library, which people can contribute to by sharing something about themselves or their families, which can be in the form of a poem or a picture.
“Even just their name,” said D’Arienzo, who noted that the collage is designed to provide a snapshot of the town. The collage will be saved in the library’s archives.
More information on this weekend’s festivities can be found online at www.burgy250th.com.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.