By Daniel Lee, Office of Historic Alexandria
Alexandria, VA – Alexandria’s America250 celebrations culminate in a celebration of America’s 250th birthday at the Alexandria waterfront. The event is an immersive and engaging weekend festival June 12-14, offering family activities, exhibits, music, educational programs, public art, and more. The highlight will be the tours of four historic tall ships from noon to 6 p.m. We highly recommend reserving a timed ticket to tour a tall ship. Tickets are valid 30 minutes from the ticketed time. A walk-up line will be available, but entrance is not guaranteed for walk-up visitors.
The four ships are named the Kalmar Nyckel, the Sultana, the Providence, and the Gazela.
The Kalmar Nyckel is a 93-foot-long Dutch pinnace based in Wilmington, Delaware. It is a full-scale, accurate reproduction of a ship that served both as a colonial vessel and a Swedish warship. Swedish colonists arrived on the original Kalmar Nyckel to Lenape land that became Delaware in 1638. The reproduction has served as a floating classroom since 1997, teaching maritime heritage and history.
The Sultana is a 52-foot schooner based in Chestertown, Maryland. The ship is a full-scale reproduction of what was once the smallest schooner in the British Royal Navy from 1768 to 1772. In 1768, her first year in service, the original Sultana transported thousands of troops to Boston to subdue rebellious colonists. The reproduction launched in 2001.
The Providence, originally named the Katy, is a 61-foot sloop, based here in Alexandria. The current Providence is a reproduction of one of the first ships in the Continental Navy. The original ship sailed as a merchant ship, whaler, privateer, and flagship of the Rhode Island Navy. It was renamed from Katy to Providence in 1775, as it was commissioned as the fifth ship in the Continental Navy. The original took more than 40 prizes as a member of the Continental Navy. It was burned to avoid capture by the British in the summer of 1779.
The Gazela is a 140-foot barkentine, the oldest and largest ship at Sails on the Potomac. Built in Portugal, she fished off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, until 1969. Since the 1970s, she has served as an educational vessel in Philadelphia, alongside the tugboat Jupiter and the barge Poplar.
The Sails on the Potomac event also hosts the 250th History Village and Outpost, an outdoor exhibit filled with learning experiences for all ages. Visitors can participate in educational activities, engage in historic conversations with local organizations from across the region, and view pop-up exhibits.
Visitors can also view the eighth annual installation in the Site See: New Views in Old Town public art series commissioned by the City of Alexandria’s Public Art Program. This year’s installation is “Now or Never” by Alicia Eggert. The piece is located in Waterfront Park and features two monumental sculptures that echo the visual language of signs and billboards.
The 48th Annual ALX Jazz Fest anchors Alexandria’s 250th commemoration, all three days of Sails on the Potomac, with performances starting at 1 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday.
We hope to see you at Sails on the Potomac from June 12 to 14!
Readers can reserve their tickets here: https://shop.alexandriava.gov/Events.aspx. Due to the nature of historic tall ships, strollers are not permitted, and most are not wheelchair accessible. The Sultana can accommodate lightweight wheelchairs. The Providence’s education center on the waterfront is wheelchair accessible. The Providence can accommodate walkers on the gangway, but there are steps that lead down to the deck. Service animals are welcome.
