This summer, the Virginia Arts Festival is mixing the stars in its Colonial Williamsburg concert series with the Stars and Stripes.
The annual Williamsburg Live, with its headliner-heavy lineup, was pushed forward a week. It will take place Thursday through Sunday, the weekend before 75,000 people are expected to show up in Williamsburg to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
A concert will be staged each night, with nearly 2,000 seats under a tent and room for just over 3,000 more on the lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
The actual number of seats protected from the elements by a big top? “Seventeen seventy-six,” said Dianna Starkey, the festival’s marketing and communications director, with a grin.
The lineup is diverse, like the nation, spanning country, rock, New Orleans jazz fusion and Americana. Each artist presents a distinct blend of styles.
On Thursday, Melissa Etheridge and Wynonna Judd will be paired on stage. Both have powerful voices and are big draws with long careers and multiple Grammy awards. Judd leans country, while Etheridge is more rock with a new album out, “Rise.”
Each concert has an opening act. On Thursday, the stage lights up at 6:30 p.m. for opener Maggie Rose, whose sound blends Americana, country and rock.
Rob Cross, director of the arts festival and principal percussionist for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, looks to firsthand reports from those he trusts or at his own audience experiences in choosing his lineup.
“Someone on our artistic staff had seen Melissa Etheridge and Wynonna Judd performing together in the past year, and said they were really great together.”
On Friday, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue will bring his “total New Orleans groove” to the Williamsburg stage, Cross said.
“I’ve had him on my radar for years. We finally found a date that worked. I’ve listened to all his recordings. Just great stuff, going back to the Neville Brothers.”
His evening opens at 7 p.m. with Dumpstaphunk, which includes members of the renowned Neville family of traditional New Orleans musicians. As its name implies, the band is fun and funky in its fusion approach.
Saturday brings Alison Krauss & Union Station back to Williamsburg for the first time since her 2018 appearance. (Listen to the music of Krauss & Union Station on demand at WHRO's Pickin')
“She’s one of my favorites,” Cross said. “We’ll take Alison whenever she’s available. She has one of the most incredible voices in the world. It’s just so pure and authentic.”
She has earned 27 Grammys for her Americana mix of bluegrass and roots music. The equally masterful dobro player Jerry Douglas will be on stage, too.
Her night kicks off at 7 p.m. with Canadian singer-songwriter Theo Lawrence, who blends an early country sound with other genres.
Rocker Grace Potter takes the stage on Sunday with her introspective songs and bluesy, belting vocal style. Her album “Trespasser” is due out in August. The songs came out of her solo cross-country car trips, as did the music on her record, “Mother Road.”
Potter has lately been slipping in “Trespasser” songs in her concerts. She wrote that the album is about “exploring, physically and mentally and emotionally, and being willing to step outside the narratives we’ve accepted.”
Her night starts at 7 p.m. with Lindsay Lou, a singer-songwriter whose emotionally vulnerable approach also blends a range of styles.
The mission of the arts fest is to bring world-class entertainment to the region, which in turn provides income for businesses and cities.
The addition of a fourth night for Williamsburg Live came from the festival’s tourism partners in Williamsburg. The expectation was that it would bring more money to hotels, restaurants and shops, plus extra tax revenue for the city, Cross said.
“We’re hoping people will come for the concerts, and stay for the Fourth of July,” said Edward Harris, CEO of Visit Williamsburg.
Colonial Williamsburg is a top destination for events commemorating the 250th. It was the political center of Virginia from 1699 to 1780, and greatly influenced the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
While the Stars and Stripes may be seen on the Fourth in Williamsburg, the first official American flag was not chosen by the Continental Congress until 1777, according to colonialwilliamsburg.org.
The Continental Union flag, known as the “Grand Union,” dates to 1775 and is flown in Colonial Williamsburg to signal open exhibits.
Harris said he has no way of knowing exactly how many people will be roaming the historic district on concert days, but anticipates a larger crowd than usual.
“This is such a once-in-a-generation moment, it makes it hard to predict. We know that the interest level is through the roof.”
After NBC’s Today Show 3rd Hour broadcast live from Colonial Williamsburg in May, visitwilliamsburg.com was flooded with visits, Harris said.
“We have our strongest advance sales ever,” Cross said. He warned that, if people want to be under the tent, they should act soon. Lawn seats are expected to remain available.
Food trucks plus beer and wine will be on-site at Williamsburg Live.
If ticket holders prefer a restaurant, they should make reservations soon, Harris said. Same with lodging.
About 58% of Williamsburg Live attendees typically come from outside Williamsburg, York County and Jamestown, Starkey said.
The city has about 10,000-room nightly capacity, Harris said.
Free parking and shuttles to the concert site are available at the Colonial Williamsburg Regional Visitors Center. Unpaid parking begins at 6 p.m.; until then, parking is $10. Public lots with limited spots near the concert will charge an event fee of $20, Starkey said.
Harris said: “My recommendation is to come early for these concerts. It’s going to be busy, but there’s plenty of things to do.”
Besides a ticket to the living history museum that is the historic district, Williamsburg offers many free diversions.
Guests can examine a huge quilt at the Visitors Center made up of 2,000 squares sent in from across the country.
“Each square symbolizes your personal American journey,” Harris said. Admission is also free to the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, which feature decorative arts and folk art.
Visitors can scan offerings on the arts festival and Visit Williamsburg websites and at colonialwilliamsburg.org.
Concert tickets range from $54 to $158 for tent seating, $43 to $50 for the lawn. Go to vafest.org for more information.
