Gloucester Parks, Recreation & Tourism Events

FREE FLOW YOGA

Parks, Recreation & Tourism is sponsoring Free Flow Yoga on Tuesdays in July from 5:30-6:45 PM at Whitcomb Lodge.  The fee is $32 for the whole month or $9 per drop-in session.

INTERMEDIATE BELLY DANCE

Parks, Recreation & Tourism is sponsoring Intermediate Belly Dance for ages 16 and older on Mondays from August 3 to September 21 at the Stewart Building from 7:00 – 8:00 pm. For dancers with a good foundation of belly dance basics. You'll learn a fun choreography dance that the group will perform together at the end of the session. The fee is $65 for the 8-week session and the deadline to register is Friday, July 31st

Parks, Recreation & Tourism is sponsoring Gymnastics Trials as a one-time experience to help determine your child’s interest before enrolling in a full session. Sessions offered at Botetourt and Achilles. For ages 3-16. Check our website for full list of offerings!

ADULT COURT COLLECTIVE: PICK-UP BASKETBALL

Parks, Recreation & Tourism is sponsoring Adult Pick-Up Basketball on Friday evenings in July at Ark Park with ongoing registration and drop-ins welcome. For ages 18+. Please see our website for more information!

FRESH FLAVORS: SUMMER EDITION (NEW PROGRAM)

Parks, Recreation and Tourism is sponsoring Fresh Flavors: Summer Edition on Wednesdays in July from 5:30 – 7:30 PM at the Stewart Building. Celebrate the flavors and creativity of the season with a hands-on class. Enjoy learning to cook delicious seasonal dishes perfect for this summer. These sessions are available for individual sign-ups with a $15 fee. The deadline to register is the Monday before each class.

GYMNASTICS CAMP

Parks, Recreation & Tourism is sponsoring two weeks of two-day Gymnastics Camps in July at Botetourt.  For ages 4-16. Ages 6-16 meet Monday and Wednesday from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. Ages 4-5 meet Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00 – 6:15 PM. Students will work on bars, beam, floor, vault and trampoline. The fee to register is $85

CHRYSLER MUSEUM - BEST YEARS TRIP 

Parks, Recreation & Tourism is sponsoring a Best Years Trip to the Chrysler Museum on Wednesday, August 5 from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm.  Be sure to check out the glass blowing demonstration at noon.  The fee is $30 and the registration deadline is Wednesday, July 29th. 

INTERNATIONAL CUISINE CULINARY CLUB? 

Parks, Recreation & Tourism is sponsoring a 4-week session of International Cuisine Culinary Club for?ages?16 and older on Wednesdays from 5:30-7:30 PM, August 5 - 26 at the Stewart Building.??You will explore international cuisine, characteristic cooking?practices?and traditions.??German, French, Italian, Turkish, Indian,?Thai?and Mexican to name a few.??The fee is $55 and the deadline to register is?Wednesday, July 29th.

TREASURES & TASTES

Parks, Recreation & Tourism is sponsoring a Best Years Trip to Tappahannock on Thursday, August 13 from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. Start with a late breakfast or lunch at Java Jack's followed by a visit to Acme Antiques! Acme Antiques is a massive, multi-vendor antique and collectibles mall. End the trip with a tasty treat from Acme Ice Cream Parlor! The fee is $35 and the deadline to register is Thursday, August 6th. 

Urbanna’s Founders Day 2026

The Friends of Urbanna invites all to celebrate its colonial history and enjoy Urbanna annual Founders Day on Saturday, August 1st. Day-long festivities start at 10:15 with Fife and drummers and an 11am conversation between character interpreters Thomas Jefferson and Martha Washington at Urbanna Baptist Church in the critical year of 1776.

Coming back this year is a living history encampment of the 18^th century Virginia Navy on the grounds of the James Mills Scottish Factor Store. Visitors can learn the history of our early Navy and wander among authentic tents, campfires, food, tools, edged weapons, firearms, and a cannon, with firing demonstrations on the half hour from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.

And completely new this year are two exciting additions: Daniel “Firehawk” Abbott, a descendant of an Algonquin Native American, will tell stories and demonstrate traditional life skills of early residents, And for children, Founders will entertain younger visitors with fun colonial games through hands-on learning and play.

The James Mills Scottish Factor Store and Museum will bring Urbanna’s colonial culture to life by stepping back in time into the store filled with artifacts and items to purchase.  In the map room presentations of the unique Mitchell Map will showcase Urbanna Virginia’s amazing history.

Family events throughout the day include tours of the Luna at the marina and tours at historic buildings and Urbanna’s 18^th century courthouse. Climbing aboard Captain John Smith’s17th century Explorer will delight young explorers.

Admission to all events is Free.

Come to enjoy all the colonial events of the day in the quaint and historic town of Urbanna with its friendly and welcoming people, several excellent restaurants, and multiple unique boutique shops. 

For more information go to friendsofurbanna.org.

MATHEWS MUSEUM TO OPEN

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES EXHIBIT

The Mathews Museum is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibit highlighting the indigenous peoples who lived in Mathews centuries ago.

The exhibit will open in two stages. The public is invited to visit during regular museum hours, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and step back in time through a remarkable collection of artifacts and interpretive displays.

“The exhibit has been more than a year in the making,” says Museum President Tom Robinson.  

The exhibit features original artifacts, a hands-on touch table, and a vintage hand-crafted dugout canoe, offering visitors an immersive experience. Indigenous people are believed to have lived in the Mathews area for thousands of years — from as early as 22,000 years ago until the Kiskiack Tribe was driven out in the 1670s.

Chairman Robinson invites community members with Native American heritage to share their stories and family histories. Those interested are encouraged to contact the Museum at 804-505-1277,  or email info@mathewsmuseum.org, or, simply stop by for a visit. Visit the Museum at mathewsmuseum.org.  

Come out to the Gloucester's Farmers Market at Ware Church from 9a.m. to 1 p.m on the Second Saturday of the month until October. 

Summer is here, so it's time to book a sailing cruise on the historic skipjack Claud W. Somers.

The Somers, built in 1911, underwent an extensive refit over the winter and is now back at its home dock at the Reedville Fishermen's Museum, 504 Main St.

Sail dates are Saturdays, August 8th and 22nd, September 12th and 26th, and October 10th and 24th. The Somers leaves the museum dock at 10 a.m. and returns to the dock at noon.

Tickets cost $30 for museum members or $35 for non-members. Children age 10 and up are welcome. The boat carries up to 15 passengers per sail. The boat also can be booked for charters.

Ticket-holders can enter and tour the museum at no extra charge.

For information or to book a sail, call 804-453-6529 or email office@rfmuseum.org.

Mathews Marathon - A Boston Qualifier Race

From 7:00AM to 1:00PM

On Saturday, October 17th from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. come out and run along peaceful, rural backroads in beautiful Mathews County, Virginia - as we like to say - the world's flattest race course! This course was officially registered as a Boston qualifier in 2025. Enjoy the fast, flat course that winds through dirt, gravel and paved roads and past the serenity of one of Virginia’s great countrysides. The Marathon route will take you to 3 of the county’s beaches. You can also register for the Half Marathon or run the marathon course as a relay! Find out more information and register here: https://mocva.net/marathon/ Organized by the Mathews Outdoor Club

Location: Put In Creek Pavilion

Website: https://www.mocva.net/marathon/

Wharf to Wharf Swim

 

Swim out-and-back along the calm waters of the East River in Mathews County, Virginia. On Saturday, August 15th, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., challenge yourself to a one mile open water swim starting and ending at Williams Wharf Landing. Swimmers set out in waves and return to a post-race award ceremony and celebration. Find out more information and register here: https://mocva.net/w2w/ This event is organized by the Mathews Outdoor Club.

Location: Williams Wharf Landing

Website: https://www.mocva.net/w2w/

The Reedville Fishermen's Museum is now open for the season, with four new exhibits on view through 2026. The museum is full of artifacts and memorabilia telling the story of the Northern Neck's historic commercial fishing history. Outside on campus are several classic boats, at the dock and on shore. Activities being planned for the year include concerts, skipjack cruises, family boat building, golf cart party, fireworks, crabbing for kids, antique boat show and holiday celebrations.

Three new exhibits are in the Watermen's Gallery: Images by Kodachrome, a photographic tribute to the area's watermen by Mike Fontaine; Northern Neck Master Gardeners' Shoreline Evaluation Program; and Smith Point Sea Rescue.

Chesapeake Bay Quilts by Logan O'Bier are on exhibit in the museum lobby and the Walker House.

Admission includes entrance to all museum exhibits: $10 for adults; $5 for seniors 65 and above; $5 for veterans; free for children 17 and under; and free for active duty military members. For more information, call 804-453-6529 or e-mail office@rfmuseum.org.          

The Disabled American Veterans Chapter 58, located in Gloucester VA, at 6265 Professional Drive, directly behind the radio station. Their Certified Claims Service Officers can assist ALL Veterans and their dependents with submitting claims to the Veterans Administration at no cost. No appointment necessary, you’ll need a DD214, hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am to 2pm and they can be reached at 804-695-1558.

For a ride to Richmond or Hampton for appointment, call Keith Davis at 757-728-3148 to make arrangements.

Gloucester County Unveils New Driving Tour Exploring the
1781 Battle of the Hook
The Gloucester Museum of History proudly announces the launch of the Battle of the Hook Driving
Tour, a new self-guided driving tour exploring the events, people, and key sites of the Battle of the
Hook, the largest cavalry engagement of the American Revolution and a crucial Franco-American
victory. The tour brochure is available at the Museum of History and Gloucester Visitor Center, at
no cost, and an online version is also available.
 

The October 3, 1781, Battle of the Hook is one of the most important episodes of the siege of
Yorktown, when the Duc de Lauzun's famous Legion of hussars with 300 troops of the "Infanterie
de Marine,” and Lieutenant Colonel John Mercer's Select Battalion of Grenadiers, under the overall
command of French Brigadier General Claude de Choisy, defeated Lieutenant Colonel Banastre
Tarleton's British Legion and a detachment of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. The fighting at Gloucester
helped cut off British escape routes from Yorktown, directly contributing to their surrender just
sixteen days later, on October 19, 1781.
 

The driving tour guides visitors to pivotal locations throughout Gloucester County, including the
historic Tavern at Gloucester Courthouse (now the Gloucester Museum of History), Ware
Episcopal Church, Abingdon Episcopal Church, and Seawell’s Ordinary. Each site reveals how local
landscapes became strategic military positions during the final campaign for American
independence.
Additional highlights include the Second Surrender, memorialized at Tyndall’s Point Park, where
British troops garrisoned in Gloucester surrendered to French forces one hour after the October 19,
1781, capitulation at Yorktown. The tour also directs visitors to Abingdon Elementary School,
where they may experience interpretive signage and a new memorial honoring the five French
soldiers who fell during the battle.
“This tour invites locals and guests to explore Gloucester’s beauty and history while visiting
landmarks where decisive moments in America’s fight for independence unfolded,” said Robert
Kelly, Gloucester’s Historic Resources Supervisor. “As we commemorate the nation’s 250 th birthday,
the tour is a powerful way to connect Gloucester’s history and landscapes with the broader story of
America’s founding while also honoring the importance of the Franco-American Alliance.”

Registration is now open for 4-H Camp for Gloucester, Essex and Middlesex. Camp will be held June 8th-12th at the Jamestown 4-H Center.

Do you have concerns regarding your preschooler's development? Gloucester County Public Schools conducts screenings for preschool children as part of their Child Find Activities throughout the school year. Parents/Guardians should consider having their children screened if they are experiencing difficulty walking, talking, playing, and meeting developmental milestones. If you are interested in having your child screened, please contact your child's zoned school. Any further questions please contact the Special Education Office at 804-693-7880 or 804-693-7944.