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Local Virginia 250th committee outlines year of events, seed funding and markers
Summary
Rebecca Ebert, chair of the local Virginia 250th committee, told the Planning & Economic Development Committee that the effort has run dozens of free or low-cost history events with partner organizations, seeded by $10,000 each from the city and county, and has set aside $4,000 for Revolutionary War markers.
Rebecca Ebert, chair of the local Virginia 250th committee, told the Planning and Economic Development Committee on May 28 that the local effort has organized dozens of public activities and is funded by seed grants from both the city and the county.
Ebert said the city and the county each contributed $10,000, and the committee decided to use that $20,000 to support events over two years so programming would remain free or affordable. "The city and the county... decided to give $10,000 a piece," she said.
The committee has coordinated with museums, historical societies and local volunteers to aggregate events onto a shared calendar so organizations avoid scheduling conflicts. Ebert said the initiative ran 42 events in 2025 with more than 2,000 attendees, and reported 43 activities through the end of May of the current year with over 1,400 attendees recorded so far, noting that partner reporting of attendance remains incomplete.
Ebert highlighted programs designed to draw people downtown, including a "Find Your Revolutionary War Hero" window scavenger program supported by a grant to the Daughters of the American Revolution, and a 13-mile historic bicycle ride planned for June 6 with police support and short interpretive stops. She said the committee also purchased promotional pins (about $1,000) and produced brochures and rack cards to promote events.
On funding management, Ebert said the Winchester Frederick County Historical Society is serving as the committee’s fiscal agent because municipal rules limit city departments from holding a separate event fund. "The Winchester Frederick County Historical Society being an independent 501(c)(3) group could play that role," she said, and added that committee approvals are required for larger expenditures.
Ebert asked council members to consider the committee’s role after 2026; she said she plans to step down as chair and asked whether members prefer maintaining the current pace, scaling back to quarterly meetings, or saving funds for future years. Committee members praised the outreach and suggested curriculum tie-ins for schools and continued partnership with local historians.
The presentation closed with staff and committee members committing continued support for publicity and logistics through the visitor center and other partners. Ebert urged continued input from council on how the program should proceed beyond the current year.
