Celebrating Virginia’s lesser-known tea party

Driving the news: This weekend is the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.

• But forget about that, because in the lead up to the United States' 250th birthday party (save the date: July 4, 2026), the group tasked with organizing Virginia's celebration is working to raise recognition of the one in Yorktown.

What they're saying: "While the Boston Tea Party is widely celebrated, Yorktown's remains relatively unknown," Michael Steen, education director at the Yorktown Watermen's Museum, said. "In 'reali-tea,' it held just as much significance in shaping the course of American history."

The big picture: There were 17 tea parties total, held in port cities from York, Maine to Charleston, South Carolina, per the American Battlefield Trust.

Zoom in: The Yorktown protest came 11 months after the famous Boston event. A group of residents learned a Williamsburg merchant had ordered tea from London in defiance of an ongoing boycott.

• They paraded from a tavern on Main Street in Yorktown to the harbor, where they boarded a ship and dumped 2.5 chests of tea into the York River.

Of note: The Virginia Museum of History and Culture is hosting a sold out tasting of 18th century-style teas on Saturday, but tickets for a lecture on tea party history are still available.