On Friday, March 1st, Lafayette’s World: Revolutionary Ideals and the Limits of Freedom opened at Fredericksburg Area Museum. This exhibit commemorates the visit of General Marquis de Lafayette to the City of Fredericksburg, which, as of 2024, is having its 250th anniversary. In that spirit, a Bicentennial Celebration of Lafayette’s visit to Fredericksburg is occurring throughout the year.
The Bicentennial Celebration is beginning with a Lecture Series, which began in March, and will continue on May 2nd about the Music of the French Revolution, which will be held at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library. Other lectures as part of the Celebration include Lafayette and Abolition at Fredericksburg Area Museum on May 9th, Fredericksburg, 1824: The City and Its People at Central Rappahannock Regional Library on June 13th, Lafayette’s First Visits to Fredericksburg at Central Rappahannock Regional Library on September 5th, and more.
The Lecture Series will conclude in November, and will be followed by the Commemoration Weekend from November 23-24. The Commeration Weekend will include a recreation of Lafayette’s visit, including his arrival by a horse-drawn carriage, followed by a period-specific reception line. There will also be a walking tour, the ticked Lafayette Ball, displays at museums, a re-enactment of his reception at Masonic Lodge #4, and a a serviece of prayer and thanksgiving at St. George’s Episcopal Church. The Commemoration Weekend will be a historical celebration like no other, and is the perfect way to cap off the Lafayette Bicentennial Celebration.
“I always knew who Lafayette was,” Lisa Durham, Co-Chair of the Fredericksburg Lafayette Bicentennial Commemoration Committee, said. “But really in the process of doing this work, I’ve come to understand how amazing he was…how much he believed in the American ideal of freedom.”
Lafayette’s visit to Fredericksburg marks a pivotal moment in this city’s history, and the Bicentennial Celebration is the perfect way to commemorate the profound impact that this figure conveyed.
Learn more about Lafaytte’s Visit to Fredericksburg and the Bicentennial Celebration.