Photo courtesy of Judy Collins
Singer/songwriter Judy Collins
PBS will air live a 4th of July concert celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary from Colonial Williamsburg starring singer/songwriter Judy Collins.
PBS recently announced that it will air "America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together," the new special produced in partnership with VA250. In commemoration of America’s independence, the special will broadcast live from Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area Saturday, July 4, 2026, from 8 to 10 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS app.
The production will also include:
- Patriotic favorites performed by the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band.
- The Honorable John Charles Thomas, retired Virginia Supreme Court Justice, reading "A Poem for the Nation."
- A spectacular fireworks show.
Collins is an American folk singer and songwriter whose crystalline soprano has been a fixture of American music for more than six decades. Born in Seattle in 1939 and trained from childhood as a classical pianist, she came up through the 1960s Greenwich Village folk revival and made her name as a luminous interpreter of other writers' songs—her 1967 reading of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" and her 1975 recording of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns" both became signature hits, the latter earning a Grammy.
She is also a gifted songwriter in her own right (and the muse behind Stephen Stills' "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"), as well as a longtime activist for social and political causes. Now in her mid-80s and still a vital touring presence, she brings the weight of that history to the 250 Years Together celebration.
Collins' performance on the 4th will officially kick off her "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes" farewell tour across the nation. That tour will bring her to Alexandria's Birchmere for two performances, Nov. 17 and Nov. 18.
Her Williamsburg performance will celebrate the ideas, people and defining moments that gave rise to the United States. Set in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, the program will blend live performance, music, historic interpretation and large-scale visual spectacle to create an inspiring national event that connects the nation’s founding directly to the present day, offering a powerful reflection on America’s past, present, and future.
“As we mark 250 years of American independence, there is no more fitting place to celebrate than Colonial Williamsburg, where the founding ideas that shaped our nation first took hold,” said Sylvia Bugg, chief programming executive and general manager, General Audience Programming at PBS. “This special brings that history to life in a way that honors the past while resonating with audiences today. We’re proud to partner with VA250 to continue our long-standing tradition of live programming in celebration of America’s birthday.”
“This exciting partnership is grounded in shared values: educating every American; engaging with every community; and inspiring a season of civic renewal that energizes and unifies us. As the birthplace of our nation, Virginia belongs to every American. As we come together on July 4, 2026 to celebrate 250 years of independence, it is Virginia’s honor to welcome America home,” said Carly Fiorina, national honorary chair of VA250.
Rooted in Virginia’s central role in the nation’s founding — from Jamestown to Williamsburg to Yorktown — the event underscores the enduring impact of the Commonwealth in shaping the United States. Designed as both a celebration and a unifying national moment, the broadcast invites audiences to reflect on the past, engage in the present and see themselves reflected in America’s continuing story.
