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VA250 committee reports dozens of local events, requests guidance on post‑2026 plans
Summary
Rebecca Ebert told the Planning & Economic Development Committee the local Virginia Semiquincentennial committee has run free or low-cost activities—42 in 2025 and 43 through May 2026—funded in part by $10,000 seed grants from the city and county; the committee seeks direction on sustaining activity after 2026.
Rebecca Ebert, chair of Winchester’s local Virginia 250th committee, briefed the Planning & Economic Development Committee on the group’s programming and finances, saying the local effort has focused on free or low-cost events to broaden participation.
"It's been an exciting year and a half," Ebert told the committee as she outlined the committee’s origins, monthly meeting structure and partnerships with museums, historical societies and downtown businesses. She said the city and county each provided $10,000 to seed programming and that the committee stretched those funds across multiple initiatives.
The committee has used partner events to build a centralized calendar and reported 42 activities in 2025 that drew more than 2,000 attendees; through the end of May 2026 Ebert said 43 activities were recorded with more than 1,400 participants (attendance gathering remains ongoing). Signature efforts include a downtown "Find Your Revolutionary War Hero" storefront passport program and a 13‑mile historic‑site bicycle ride slated for June 6.
Ebert said the group deliberately kept most events nonpartisan and accessible, and that the committee intends to continue coordinating with the state VA250 commission and local institutions. She told members the committee reserved $4,000 from its $20,000 allotment to install one or two Revolutionary‑War markers, and that larger promotional purchases (pins, brochures and advertisements placed regionally) have been the major expenditures.
On finance and administration, Ebert said the Winchester Frederick County Historical Society is serving as the committee’s fiscal agent because city rules limit having a separate city account for the committee’s funds. "We did get the Winchester Frederick County Historical Society to be our fiscal agent," she said, noting that larger expenditures are approved by the committee and that she maintains a small credit card for minor purchases.
Committee and council members praised the outreach for bolstering tourism and recommended liaison work with state marker funding efforts; one councilor suggested aligning requests for historic female highway markers with the VA250 effort in Richmond. Ebert said the committee will consider whether to scale meetings back to quarterly and whether to preserve funds for future commemorations (Yorktown’s anniversary in 2031 was noted as a possible future focal point).
The committee did not take formal action on the report but encouraged staff and Ebert’s group to continue coordinating with the visitor center and other stakeholders.
