Mount Vernon, VA, March 25, 2026 — As spring returns to the banks of the Potomac River, George Washington’s Mount Vernon invites visitors to experience the beauty of the historic estate alongside a season of signature events celebrating the nation’s founding. Highlights include the immersive Revolutionary War Weekend, the popular Mount Vernon Wine Festival, and a series of author lectures and book talks featuring leading historians and scholars of the founding era.
One of the season’s signature events is Revolutionary War Weekend, when visitors can explore a full-scale Continental Army encampment, watch military drills and artillery demonstrations, meet soldiers and historical interpreters, and learn how Washington’s army trained and prepared for the campaigns that ultimately secured American independence.
“For George Washington and the Continental Army, spring was the season when campaigns began, and the fight for independence moved forward,” said Douglas Bradburn, Ph.D., President and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. “Revolutionary War Weekend allows visitors to step into that moment in history to see how soldiers trained, how the army prepared for battle, and how Washington’s leadership helped guide the struggle that created the United States.”
Spring also features the Mount Vernon Wine Festival, where guests can sample wines from Virginia wineries while enjoying sweeping sunset views of the Potomac River and the historic estate. Mount Vernon will also host a multitude of book talks and lectures at the George Washington Presidential Library, connecting visitors with historians and authors like H. W. Brands, Joanne Freeman, and Walter Isaacson whose work sheds new light on the American Revolution.
Springtime visitors can explore the 500-acre estate, including the recently restored Mansion, Washington’s gardens and working farm, and the museum galleries, making Mount Vernon one of the nation’s premier destinations for understanding the founding of the United States.
Upcoming events and activities are detailed below in chronological order. Related photos and videos for media use are available here with attribution to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.
Upcoming Spring Events and Programs
- Lunch at the Library: Mansion Revitalization – March 27, 2026. Mount Vernon experts offer a behind-the-scenes look at the landmark Mansion Revitalization Project and the conservation work preserving George Washington’s home for future generations. Learn more.
- Remember the Ladies Family Day – April 4, 2026. A family-friendly program highlighting the lives and contributions of women during the founding era through interactive activities, demonstrations, and storytelling. Learn more.
- Lunch at the Library: A Perfect Frenzy – April 8, 2026. Andrew Lawler, author of A Perfect Frenzy: A Royal Governor, His Black Allies, and the Crisis That Spurred the American Revolution, explores the untold story of rebellion in Virginia that will forever change our understanding of the American Revolution. Learn more.
- Author Lecture: The American Revolution at 250 – April 16, 2026. Hear from historians Francis Cogliano, Joanne Freeman, and Peter Onuf about their contributions to The American Revolution at 250: Twenty-Four Historians Reflect on the Founding. A book signing and reception with beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres will follow the lecture. Learn more.
- Mount Vernon After Hours – April 25, 2026. Members are invited to experience the estate after hours with special access to the grounds and historic areas in a relaxed evening setting. Learn more.
- Revolutionary War Weekend – May 2–3, 2026. One of Mount Vernon’s most popular annual events brings the Revolutionary era to life through reenactments, military drills, encampments, artillery demonstrations, and hands-on activities that illuminate the fight for American independence. Learn more.
- George Washington Whiskey Tastings – Starting May 2, 2026. Guests can sample spirits produced using 18th-century distilling techniques while learning about George Washington’s historic distillery and the role whiskey played in early American commerce. Learn more.
- Mount Vernon Wine Festival and Sunset Tour – May 15, 16, and 17, 2026. Guests can sample wines from Virginia’s finest wineries while enjoying breathtaking sunset views of the Potomac River and the historic estate. The festival also features live music and access to Washington’s Mansion and grounds. Learn more.
- Mixed Container Workshop – May 15 and 16, 2026. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn techniques for selecting and arranging summer annuals, with moss and birch twig accents, to create vibrant, lasting displays. Learn more.
- Author Lecture: The Greatest Sentence Ever Written – May 27, 2026. Hear from renowned historian Walter Isaacson about his new book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written. A book signing and reception with beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres will follow the lecture. Learn more.
- Becoming American: Mount Vernon Symposium – May 29–30, 2026. Scholars and experts gather at the George Washington Presidential Library to explore the emergence of American design, culture, and identity in the decades following independence as part of the nation’s America 250 commemorations. Learn more.
- Author Lecture: American Patriarch – June 2, 2026. Hear from historian H. W. Brands about his new book, American Patriarch: The Life of George Washington, which provides insight on George Washington’s unrivaled leadership in the birth of America. A book signing and reception with beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres will follow the lecture. Learn more.
More information about Mount Vernon’s America’s 250 programming is available at www.mountvernon.org/250. Mount Vernon is pleased to offer the Virginia 250 Passport — a free, commemorative travel guide inviting guests to explore more than 70 historic sites across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Passport holders can collect unique stamps at participating destinations, access special discounts, and enter prize drawings designed to inspire discovery and engagement with Virginia’s rich heritage.
Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the oldest national historic preservation organization in the United States. The estate is open to visitors and includes the Mansion, a museum and education center, gardens, tombs, a working farm, a functioning distillery, and a gristmill, as well as the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon. Learn more at www.mountvernon.org.
