Events
The George Washington Foundation hosts dozens of events each year. Click here to see a full list of upcoming events for 2026.
See our list of programming for celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Please note that photography is taken during all Foundation events and may be used for social media, marketing, and promotional purposes.
The Slave Dwelling Project: Voices of the Past is coming to the Fredericksburg region to present a series of living history demonstrations, lectures, and special events in collaboration with Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Mary Washington House, James Monroe Museum, Central Rappahannock Regional Library, City of Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg Area Museum, Stafford County, and the Moncure Conway House.
On Saturday morning from 10-11, Ferry Farm will host a special kick-off presentation by Joseph McGill, Jr. the founder of the Slave Dwelling Project in Charleston, SC. McGill and the Slave Dwelling Project have brought much needed attention to these often-neglected structures that are vitally important to the American built environment. McGill will be at the Ferry Farm Slave Quarter on Saturday morning telling the story of the inception of the Slave Dwelling Project. He’ll also discuss the purpose behind his work to honor stories of slavery and emancipation and to preserve their associated sites.
After the presentation, guests may walk to historic stations on the property to see where the enslaved lived and worked.
More information on the Slave Dwelling Project.
More information on the weekend’s events in Stafford and Fredericksburg.
Event made possible in part by a grant from Virginia Humanities.
Auditions for Twelfth Night at Kenmore: A Dramatic Performance
George Washington Foundation is seeking actors for our annual Twelfth Night at Kenmore!
Performance dates: January 9, 10, & 11, 2027
Characters:
- Nancy Alexander Lewis
- Wife of Fielding Lewis Jr.
- Worries over the looming Revolutionary War
- Fielding Lewis Jr.
- Husband of Nancy Alexander Lewis
- Son of Fielding Lewis and Betty Washington Lewis
- Untrustworthy with money
- Rachel
- Enslaved cook for the Lewis family
- Maternal figure for Hetty, an enslaved washer woman
Auditions are at Historic Kenmore, Saturday, September 12, beginning at 2:00.
1201 Washington Avenue, Fredericksburg, VA
Homeschool Day at Ferry Farm
***This event is sold out***
Join us at George Washington’s Ferry Farm on Friday, September 18, for a day of archaeological exploration designed for homeschoolers and their families. Participants will tour the replica Washington House, excavate artifacts from our teaching pits, and mend broken archaeological finds.
Attendees are welcome to enjoy a picnic lunch on our grounds; walk along the scenic Rappahannock River; explore the Ferry Farm visitor center; and complete a variety of self-guided, take-home activities.
This event is designed for individual homeschool families and small groups. Large homeschool groups or co-ops are encouraged to contact us about scheduling educational programs or field trips separately.
Each session capped at 25 total participants.
Session 1:
10:00 to 11:20 am
Session 2:
12:00 to 1:30 pm
Admission:
$6 per child attendee (ages 6-17)
Free for children under 5
$4 per adult attendee
All children must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Advanced registration for all attendees is required, as space is limited.
After registering, you should receive a confirmation email from SimpleTix.
Questions? Email learn@gwffoundation.org or call 540-370-0732.
Delve into the chilly delights of 18th-century ice cream in the Historic Kitchen at Kenmore, where a simple dessert reveals a complex past. This luxurious treat—made with imported ingredients and preserved using harvested ice—was a symbol of status and sophistication in colonial America. Learn about the tools, techniques, and painstaking labor involved in creating ice cream long before electricity. Explore how enslaved cooks made these indulgences possible and uncover the histories behind a dessert once reserved for the elite.
The kitchen will be open throughout the day, and event entry is included with general admission fees. Visitors may reserve house tour tickets online (for September 7) or purchase on-site at the front desk. Event & museum admission can be purchased on-site. Both admission rates include entry to the kitchen.
ADMISSION
General Admission (Includes House Tour)
$15 for Adults
$6 for students ages 6-17
Free for Children under 6
Event & Museum Admission
$6 for Adults
$3 for Students ages 6-17
Free for Children under 6
DATE & TIME
Sunday, September 20, 2025
12:00pm to 5:00pm
House tours at 12:15pm, 1:30pm, 2:45pm, 3:45pm
LOCATION
Historic Kenmore
1201 Washington Ave
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Questions? Call 540-370-0732 or email learn@gwffoundation.org.
Join us for a day of family-friendly festivities and community camaraderie, celebrating both the heritage and the beauty of autumn at Kenmore! Enjoy learning about local history while visiting educational stations on archaeology, living history, and the Kenmore property. Explore 18th-century legacy in our reproduction kitchen and join in a fun-filled scavenger hunt across the grounds. Take an “open-house” style tour of the iconic Kenmore Great House and peruse exhibits in the Visitor Center.
Interested in picnicking on the lawn? You’re welcome to find a space and enjoy a meal on the grounds during the event.
Tickets
$5 for adults (18 & up)
Free for children (17 & under).
Date & Time
Saturday, September 26, 2026
10:00AM to 2:00PM
Location
Historic Kenmore
1201 Washington Avenue
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
For more information, please contact learn@gwffoundation.org or call 540-370-0732.
Inclement Weather Ticket Policy
If this event is cancelled due to inclement weather, you may contact The GWF within seven (7) days of the event date to request a refund or a change in date (if applicable to this event). Please contact us at learn@gwffoundaiton.org or at (540)370-0732 within seven (7) days of the event date to make any of these requests. If no action is taken within seven (7) days of the event date, the full ticket amount will be recognized as a donation to The George Washington Foundation.
Call for Entries: 40th Annual Gingerbread House Contest & Exhibit
Call for entries!
This year’s theme is America the Beautiful.
It’s never too soon to start planning your gingerbread house creation for Ferry Farm’s 40th Annual Gingerbread House Contest and Exhibit. Show off your gingerbread skills this year with a house that captures the beauty of America. Whether inspired by amber waves of grain, purple mountain majesties, vast shining seas, or other land features, the possibilities are endless, and your interpretation of the theme can be whatever you can imagine! No entry fee.
Each exhibitor receives four free passes to the Wee Christmas Exhibit at Historic Kenmore and the Gingerbread House Contest & Exhibit at George Washington’s Ferry Farm.
Entry Categories:
Ages 2-5
Ages 6-10
Ages 11-14
Ages 15-17
Ages 18 and over
Special Needs
Family
Professional
Drop-off dates: November 21-28 at the Ferry Farm Visitor Center. Exhibit runs November 29 – December 30, 2026, in the Ferry Farm Visitor Center Gallery.
Judges will select 1st through 3rd place ribbons and prizes within each category on November 30. Exhibit visitors will select a People’s Choice during the month of December, winner to be announced on Ferry Farm’s social media December 28.