CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello today announced that Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger will serve as keynote speaker for its 64th annual Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony on July 4, 2026.
This year’s ceremony commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—the transformational document drafted by Thomas Jefferson that proclaimed the American experiment to the world. It also marks the 250th anniversary of Virginia’s Constitution, a particularly fitting occasion to welcome the sitting Governor of the Commonwealth to the mountaintop.
The 2026 ceremony has been designated the Signature Naturalization Ceremony of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250), the Commonwealth’s official commission charged with leading Virginia’s commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary. Under the banner, “America. Made in Virginia.,” VA250’s statewide programming highlights Virginia’s central role in the nation’s founding and fosters civic engagement in the lead-up to this once-in-a-generation anniversary.
Governor Spanberger will be the ninth holder of the office to speak at Monticello on Independence Day. Monticello has a long tradition of hosting the executive of the Commonwealth, and invitations have also been extended to all living former Governors of Virginia to participate in this historic, nonpartisan occasion.
Since 1963, Monticello has welcomed nearly 4,000 new Americans from countries across the globe to take the oath of citizenship on the West Lawn. From Afghanistan to Zambia, these individuals have come to the United States seeking opportunity, freedom, family, refuge, and a chance to contribute to their adopted nation. Their stories serve as powerful reminders that the Declaration’s promise belongs to all who embrace its ideals.
“We are honored to welcome Governor Abigail Spanberger to Monticello for this historic commemoration,” said Dr. Jane Kamensky, President and CEO of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. “Governor Spanberger’s leadership as Virginia’s first woman Governor—in the very office once held by Thomas Jefferson—underscores the evolving nature of the American experiment. As we mark 250 years since 1776, and embark upon the next quarter millennium together, we will celebrate both the enduring ideals of the Declaration and the generations of Americans who have worked to expand and strengthen them.”
“The 250th anniversary of American independence is a moment for reflection and renewal,” said Carly Fiorina, Honorary Chair of VA250. “Virginia stands at the center of this story. On July 4, 2026, at Monticello—the home of Thomas Jefferson, whose Virginia-rooted ideas helped give the Declaration of Independence its enduring words—we will welcome new citizens into the American family and reaffirm the ideals that continue to shape our nation. There could be no more fitting way to mark this milestone than through a naturalization ceremony that celebrates liberty, opportunity, and civic responsibility, and no more fitting place to host that ceremony than Monticello.”
“Virginia is where American democracy was born, and where we are still working to perfect it today,” said Governor Abigail Spanberger. “It is an honor to mark the United States semiquincentennial at Monticello, and I can think of no better way to spend the Fourth of July than alongside our nation’s newest citizens as they take their oath and renew the promise of American ideals for all of us.”
The ceremony will feature the swearing-in of new citizens, patriotic music, and reflections on the meaning of independence 250 years after the Declaration’s adoption. As VA250’s Signature Naturalization Ceremony, the event will spotlight the Commonwealth nationally and internationally during the semiquincentennial year.
Monticello’s Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony is free and open to the public, though advance registration is required. Additional details and registration information are available at monticello.org/July4.