The streets of Leesburg were filled with people Saturday, May 19. Sounds of bluegrass music filtered through the air, as children clambered over antique tractors and raced each other in potato sacks. As residents perused historical documents and artifacts from the Sheriff’s Office, court system, offices of revenue and geographical and information systems, people in traditional garb walked among them.
"This is about a blend of the old and the new," Board Chairman Scott York (I-At large) said. "It is about retaining part of the past while moving forward to the future."
Residents from across the county gathered in Leesburg last weekend to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Loudoun in a special day-long festival.
For the rest of the year, the county will celebrate its history in different events and displays from various county departments.
"We can get a sense of how the society we live in came to be," Sen. Mark Herring (D-33) said. "And it reminds us that tomorrow’s legacies are being written today."
AT THE HEIGHT of Saturday’s event, politicians and dignitaries from around the world spoke to residents on the courthouse steps about Loudoun’s place in history.
"This is one of the most pleasant corners of one of the most beautiful towns in the commonwealth," Gov. Tim Kaine (D) said. "Whether it’s how we educate or the opportunities that are open to us, [Virginia’s] come a long, long way. And Loudoun has been a large part of that."
Berthold Gall, the landrat, of Main-Taunun-Kreis, Loudoun’s sister county in Germany, said he hopes the two counties can work together for the next 250 years.
"We came together as partners and now we are friends," he said. "We hope that we can continue this friendship in the future and for our children. We can help them open their horizons."