Ok, so Sunday night was Grand Illumination in Colonial Williamsburg. It's a big deal; every hotel in town is booked, there are essentially no parking spaces left anywhere near the historic area, and Duke of Gloucester Street fills with more people than at any other time during the year. The line for cider is between 45 minutes and an hour long. And they open more than one cider stand. Seriously, my mom heard someone say that 30,000 people come into town over the weekend.
Grand Illumination technically takes place over the whole weekend, but Sunday is the big day. Candles (electric now) in the historic area buildings light up the windows, the street fills with cressets of fire (real fire), Christmas decorations abound, and special entertainments are presented. We knew of an out of the way, but still pretty packed, parking lot nearby, so Zan, my mom, and I headed over a bit later in the day. Luckily, the weather was gorgeous. It was warm for December-- in the low 50s (Fahrenheit, my Australian and English friends) even with the sun down. I was glad for my coat, but also glad I didn't need to button it tight or wear a hat and gloves.
We walked up to the green area behind the Courthouse where performers English Country danced, acted out a scene from Garrick's Lethe, Or Aesop in the Shades, sang traditional carols, and played bagpipes. After listening for awhile, we decided to get some cider. As we waited in the interminably long line, a group of women in front of us headed round the corner to a hidden drink window-- where they sold hot buttered rum! We decided to go for it. Such a nice treat and the line was a lot shorter. With rum in hand, we walked up DoG Street towards the Capitol. We were getting close to fireworks time, so we stopped near the Capitol to wait for the main event.
And what fireworks they were! Seriously, one of the best displays I've ever seen at Colonial Williamsburg! Greater than the Fourth of July ones, certainly! Zan and I held hands tight and watched as the Capitol building shimmered with a waterfall of fire, was illuminated by waves of light, and as the sky above the building burst into a spectacle of color. I am so, so happy to have been here for Grand Illumination this year.
(Photo taken by my mother with her iPhone; please do not use without credit)
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