Photo courtesy of Kingsmill Resort
James Landing Grille at Kingsmill Resort opens for dining in late March.
Already making plans for spring break? Williamsburg is just a 2.5-hour drive away from Alexandria. Welcome warmer weather and the promise of spring in the Kingsmill area with a bouquet of seasonal activities and re-openings — from culture and theme parks to the great outdoors.
Celebrate the return of warm weather at Kingsmill Resort and the Williamsburg environs, when spring brings a host of fun outdoor activities for all to enjoy. Tee off or swing a racket at the resort. Hike and bike the area’s many parks and green spaces. Get out on the water on the James River. Walk through the country’s largest living history museum. Tap your feet to springtime concerts. And thrill to roller coasters, zip lines, ropes courses, and more as they re-open for the season.
Here’s what’s on tap this spring:
Dine on the Waterfront: Perched on the James River at the Kingsmill Marina, the patio at James Landing Grill is the only waterfront dining in Williamsburg. Enjoy fresh, locally sourced cuisine along with beautiful sunsets over the James River. Open seasonally, James Landing Grille serves a selection of regional and sustainable seafood, such as local oysters on the half shell and grilled local fish.
Tee Off on a Championship Course: What better way to welcome spring than by playing a round at Kingsmill. With two renowned 18-hole golf courses, a celebrated golf academy, and excellent instruction, you’ll see why the resort has been recognized by Golf Digest and Golfweek. Choose from the Pete Dye-designed River Course, perched on the James River and among the 10 best in the state, or the Arnold Palmer- and Ed Seay-designed Plantation Course, featuring landmarks from the original 1736 plantation. No wonder Kingsmill has hosted the world’s best players on both the PGA and LPGA tours.
Swing a Racket: At the Kingsmill Tennis Club, you can enjoy private lessons, group clinics, tournaments, social events, or just a friendly game. Play on 15 well-maintained courts — 13 clay and two hard, with six Hydro Courts.
Float in a River Pool: Glide your way along the meandering river pool at Kingsmill, which reopens for the season on May 7.
Head Out on the Water: Spend a leisurely afternoon on the beautiful James River taking in views of Williamsburg’s attractions. Get your adrenaline fix as you zip along on jet skis or spend a relaxing day cruising on a pontoon boat or kayak. You can rent jet skis, pontoon boats, kayaks, paddle board, and fishing poles at the Kingsmill Marina.
Ride a Bike: Want to feel the wind in your hair and inhale the sweet scent of spring? Take a scenic bike ride through Kingsmill’s extensive grounds with miles of paths to pedal. Bike rentals are available at the Kingsmill Marina.
Outside the resort, more than 25 cycling routes beckon riders, featuring historic sites, peaceful farmland, and scenic back roads. Pedalers’ favorites include the Colonial Parkway, a 23-mile National Park Service trail connecting the cities of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown; the Virginia Capital Trail, a 50-mile trail stretching from Jamestown to Richmond; the Historic Jamestown Island Loop Drive, a 3-mile or 5-mile loop that features 11 interpretive stops, archaeological excavation sites, and the roosting nests of bald eagles; and the 600-acre Freedom Park, a forested retreat with 2 miles of multiuse trails and more than 20 miles of mountain bike trails winding through historical sites and forests and along creeks and open meadows.
Gaze at Spring Flowers: From formal gardens to wild fields, it’s time to stop and smell the roses. Just don't forget your camera (or smartphone). Start at the Williamsburg Botanical Garden to enjoy more than 800 species of native vegetation, plus a butterfly garden. Bring a lunch and dine under the pavilion at one of the picnic tables.
Colonial Williamsburg’s historic area offers more than 90 acres of green spaces and gardens. Sign up for a Green Thumbs & Garden Enthusiast itinerary. Or visit the Colonial Williamsburg Arboretum, made up of more than 30 historic gardens — from flowering backyard pleasure gardens to the grand Governor’s Palace gardens and grounds.
On April 26, take the annual Historic Garden Tour of Williamsburg that features a combination of historic and scenic residences and their gardens. And the 75th annual Garden Symposium takes place April 28 to May 1 at Colonial Williamsburg. Speakers will discuss distinctive landscape styles.
Take a Hike: Take in the glory of spring while hiking on one of many trails through forests, wetlands, and fields. Start on the scenic 4-mile walking path that winds its way through Kingsmill itself.
Then head offsite for a hiker’s paradise of options in Greater Williamsburg. They include: the Greensprings Greenway Interprative Trail, which links history and nature over more than 5 miles (with several loop options) in Jamestown Settlement. Explore a dozen short trails of the coastal estuary at York River State Park. Enjoy stunning views of nature on the 2-mile Powhatan Creek Trail, as it loops through beaver ponds, wetlands, and forests. Trek through Waller Mill Park, which features a 3.7-mile paved trail with views of a 360-acre lake as well as a 2.5-mile wooded trail. On the Island Loop Drive in Historic Jamestowne, choose from a 3-mile or 5-mile loop that features 11 interpretive stops, archaeological excavation sites, and the roosting nests of bald eagles. Stroll on 2 miles of multiuse trails, including a 1-mile ADA-accessible paved trail, in Williamsburg’s 600-acre forested Freedom Park. Hoof it on part of the 52-mile Virginia Capital Trail that starts in Williamsburg at the Governor's Mansion and follows the Colonial Parkway to Jamestown Island, the site of the first permanent English settlement in the New World.
Listen to Music: Second Sundays Art and Music Festival kicks off with the first event on March 13 and runs through December in Colonial Williamsburg. The festival showcases numerous local and regional acts on several outdoor stages while more than 400 artists and craftsmen offer their creations for sale in downtown Williamsburg.
The Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra offers Masterworks Concert #5 at the Williamsburg Community Chapel on May 27. It features a violin concerto, West Side Story symphonic dances, and more. Cabaret & Cocktails with Byron Stripling presents “Ragtime, Blues and All that Jazz!” on March 27 in the Williamsburg Lodge Ballroom. The concert showcases ragtime masters Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton plus blues legends B.B. King and Muddy Waters.
Williamsburg Live, part of the Virginia Arts Festival, featuring Mandy Moore, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, and Martina McBride, takes place June 17-19 at The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
Slip Away on a Segway: Hop on a Segway with Patriot Tours and glide along for a 1- or 2-hour adventure covering the waterfront and historic Main Street in Yorktown where stories of the city's Revolutionary and Civil War battles come to life.
Swing Through the Trees : Bring the whole family to GoApe’s treetop course, just 15 minutes from Colonial Williamsburg. Zip lines, rope ladders, and even a flying trapeze take you high into the forest of Freedom Park where you can swing your way through the canopy.
Go Bird Watching: Explore tidal wetlands, swamplands, hardwood forests, and open meadows on one of New Quarter Park’s nine trails. Perfect for bird watchers, the park’s landscapes are home to a variety of avian species, including American bald eagles, wild turkeys, and red-tailed hawks.
Have a Blast in a Theme Park:Visit Busch Gardens in the spring, the least crowded time of the year when the flowers are in bloom all over the park. Sprawling across 383 acres, it’s home to European-themed hamlets, entertaining shows and, of course roller coasters, lots of them. A new one, Pantheon,™ the world’s fastest multi-launch roller coaster, debuts this March. Harnessing all the speed and strength of five of the greatest Roman gods, this record-breaking coaster stands 180 feet tall with a top speed of 73 mph, and features a 95° drop, four launches, five air-time hills, and two inversions.
Chill or Thrill in a Water Park: Chill or thrill? You choose at Water Country USA, Virginia’s largest water park, which re-opens for the season on May 14. With names like Jet Scream, Big Daddy Falls, and Colossal Curl, Water Country will send you screaming over the edge. But the 43-acre park also offers opportunities to chill in the Surfer's Bay Wave and the Kritter Korral, which features fountains and splash pools for the little ones.
Put Pedal to the Metal: Just try keeping your kids away from the tracks at GO-KARTS PLUS, which re-opens for the season on March 18. They can race in NASCAR-like Super Stockarts, zoom around the four tracks of the eight-acre park, play miniature golf, try bumper cars or blaster boats, ride a coaster and other rides, take aim in the shooting gallery, and even pan for gemstones and fossils.
Have Fun on the Not-So-High Seas: Sail away for a couple of hours on the historic waters of the York River with Yorktown Sailing Charters. The 150-foot-long schooner Alliance returns to Riverwalk Landing in Yorktown on April 1. Get a feeling for what Capt. John Smith experienced four centuries ago aboard a small vessel. If you're traveling with junior mateys, check out Captain Mayhem’s School of Piracy aboard the Alliance or its sister schooner Serenity (don't let the name fool you). On these cruises, the kids will set the sails, steer the ship, and even get tattooed — temporarily, of course.
Live Like a Colonist: Amble through America’s largest living history museum, Colonial Williamsburg. Walk down Duke of Gloucester Street to experience life 250 years ago. Explore the food, crafts — tinker, tailor, solider, wig maker — and stories of a revolutionary time with the characters who lived then.
Dive deeper into history at Jamestown Settlement by grinding corn, digging out a canoe, or trying on armor. You’ll find a recreation of 17th-century life from the Powhatan Indian village to the James Fort to the ships that transported colonists to Virginia in 1607. Clamber up the gangway to the Susan Constant, where you can steer with the tiller, tie sailors’ knots, and climb into a sailor’s bunk.
On March 20, participate in “Military Through the Ages,” which features more than 500 re-enactors depicting armed forces. They range from the first century all the way to modern-day soldiers with the Virginia Army National Guard.
Experience the Battle of Yorktown: Take a tour of the Yorktown Battlefield with a ranger and hear dramatic details about the last great battle of the Revolution. This is where the combined American and French armies led by Gen. George Washington defeated British forces under Lord Charles Cornwallis in 1781. Hamilton fans should be sure to ask about the part he played in the victory.
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: Enjoy produce, prepared food, and farm-related products grown or made in Virginia at the weekly Williamsburg Farmers Market, which returns every Saturday starting on March 19. Conveniently located in Merchant Square, it features 40 different vendors and live toe-tapping music.
Sample ice-cold ones at the 2022 Williamsburg Craft Beer Festival on April 24 at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, an afternoon of craft beer, great local food, and live music.
